Introduction

Background: Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to about 2,150 in 2005), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.

Geography

Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Geographic coordinates: 19 02 S, 169 52 W

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 260 sq km; land: 260 sq km; water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 64 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m; highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m

Natural resources: fish, arable land

Land use: arable land: 15.38%; permanent crops: 11.54%; other: 73.08% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: typhoons

Environment - current issues: increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification

signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: one of world's largest coral islands

People

Population: 2,166 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA; 15-64 years: NA; 65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 0% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio: NA

Infant mortality rate: total: NA; male: NA; female: NA

Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA; male: NA; female: NA

Total fertility rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Niuean(s); adjective: Niuean

Ethnic groups: Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)

Religions: Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London

Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints 8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9% (2001 census)

Languages: Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English

Literacy: definition: NA; total population: 95%; male: NA%; female: NA%

Government

Country name: conventional long form: none; conventional short form: Niue; former: Savage Island

Dependency status: self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue

Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy

Capital: Alofi

Administrative divisions: none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order

Independence: on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand

National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Legal system: English common law

note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000)

head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May 2002)

cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers

elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 12 May 2005 (next to be held May 2008)

election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 15%

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives)

elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be held April 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue

Economy

Economy - overview: The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. 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. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although former Premier LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that Niue will shut down the offshore banking industry. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about $2.6 million. Niue suffered a devastating hurricane in January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.6 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -0.3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA; industry: NA; services: 55%

Labor force: NA

Labor force - by occupation: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in

government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Unemployment rate: NA

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA; highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1995)

Budget: revenues: NA; expenditures: NA

Agriculture - products: coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle

Industries: tourism, handicrafts, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Electricity - production: 3 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - consumption: 2.79 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 

Oil - consumption: 20 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports: NA

Oil - imports: NA

Exports: $137,200 (1999)

Exports - commodities: canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts

Exports - partners: New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2000)

Imports: $2.38 million (1999)

Imports - commodities: food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs

Imports - partners: New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2000)

Debt - external: $418,000 (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $2.6 million from New Zealand (2002)

Currency (code): New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 1,100 est (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 400 (2002)

Telephone system: domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island

international: country code - 683

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

Internet country code: .nu

Internet users: NA

Transportation

Highways: total: 234 km; paved: 86 km; unpaved: 148 km (2001)

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Airports: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none