Niue

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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 2,100 in 2002) with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 18 External links 19 Geography 20 People 21 Government 22 Economy 23 Communications 24 Transportation 25 Transnational Issues 26 External Links

Regions

Cities

Alofi - capital

Other destinations

Understand

The word "Niue" is not used in the local language to refer to this island, meaning in fact "Look! There's a coconut" (sometimes given as "Behold the coconut").

Get in

By plane

The easiest way to arrive in Niue is by plane from Auckland. Be careful not to schedule your flights around religious holidays such as Easter, as seats are often at a premium since many Niueans return home at these times.

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

Get around

Talk

English (often with a distinctive New Zealand accent) is widely spoken. The local Niuean language is increasingly falling out of favour.

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

External links

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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
water: 0 sq km
land: 260 sq km

Area - comparative 

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 

0 km

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

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: 19.23%
permanent crops: 7.69%
other: 73.08% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

NA sq km

Natural hazards 

typhoons

Environment - current issues 

increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Geography - note 

one of world's largest coral islands

People

Population 

2,134 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA%

Population growth rate 

0.5% (2002 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 

NA deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate 

NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

NA%

Nationality 

noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean

Ethnic groups 

Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans)

Religions 

Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 75%, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist)

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

Flag description 

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

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 Premier LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that Niue will shut down the offshore banking industry. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 will be about $2.6 million.

Population below poverty line 

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%

Industries 

tourism, handicrafts, food processing

Electricity - production 

3 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

2.79 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

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

Exports - commodities 

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

Imports - commodities 

food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs

Currency 

New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Currency code 

NZD

Exchange rates 

New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.3535 (January 2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5082 (1997)

Fiscal year 

1 April - 31 March

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

376 (1991)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

0 (1991)

Telephone system 

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

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios 

1,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

1 (1997)

Televisions 

NA

Internet country code 

.nu

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

1 (2000)

Internet users 

NA

Transportation

Railways 

0 km

Highways 

total: 234 km
paved: 86 km
unpaved: 148 km (106 km of which is access and plantation road) (2001)

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

none; offshore anchorage only

Airports 

1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none

External Links

• Map of Niue

fr:Niue ja:ニウエ