NIUE
(free association with New Zealand)
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: arable land 61%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures
4%; forest and woodland 19%; other 12%
Environment: subject to typhoons
Note: one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km
east of Tonga
PEOPLE
Population: 1,908 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.1% (1991)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Niuean(s); adjective--Niuean
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and
Tongans
Religion: Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)--a Protestant church
closely related to the London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%,
Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%
Language: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan;
English
Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education
age 5 to 14
Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations;
paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue
Development Board
Organized labor: NA
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: none
Type: self-governing territory in free association with New
Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand
retains responsibility for external affairs
Capital: Alofi
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: became a self-governing territory in free
association with New Zealand on 19 October 1974
Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Legal system: English common law
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established
British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Executive branch: British monarch, premier, Cabinet
Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974);
Head of Government--Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October
1974)
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Political parties and leaders:
Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN
Elections:
Legislative Assembly--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be
held March 1993);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, NIP 1
Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing territory in free
association with New Zealand)
Flag: yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side
quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars--a
large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of
the bold red cross
ECONOMY
Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New
Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the
shortfall made up by grants from New Zealand--the grants are used to pay
wages to public employees. The agricultural sector consists mainly of
subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export.
Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit,
lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign
collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years
has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans
to New Zealand.
GNP: $2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real growth rate NA%
(1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6% (1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY85 est.)
Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-88), $62 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars);
1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January
1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088
(1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: 123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation
roads
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
Telecommunications: single-line telephone system connects all
villages on island; 383 telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.);
stations--1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Police Force
Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
