Niue

Internet country code

.nu

Internet users

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: country code - 683

Telephones - main lines in use

1,100 est (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

400 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: NA expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA

Currency

New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Currency code

NZD

Debt - external

$418,000 (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.6 million from New Zealand (2002)

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 was about $2.6 million.

Electricity - consumption

2.79 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

3 million kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.1620 (2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999)

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)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA industry: NA services: 55%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-0.3% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

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)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

tourism, handicrafts, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (1995)

Labor force

NA (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Oil - consumption

20 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

NA (March 1999)

Area

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

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Coastline

64 km

Elevation extremes

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

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

Geographic coordinates

19 02 S, 169 52 W

Geography - note

one of world's largest coral islands

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

typhoons

Natural resources

fish, arable land

Terrain

steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

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

Capital

Alofi

Constitution

19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

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 1 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2005) election results: Young VIVIAN elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 70%, Hunukitama HUNUKI (AI) 30%

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

Government type

self-governing parliamentary democracy

Independence

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

International organization participation

ACP, FAO, PIF, Sparteca, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue

Legal system

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

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 21 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11; note - all 20 seats were reelected

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]; Alliance of Independents or AI [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 2,100 in 2004), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force

Age structure

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.)

Birth rate

NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: NA male: NA female: NA (2004 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

2,156 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

0.01% (2004 est.)

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)

Sex ratio

NA (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

NA children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Highways

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

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

none; offshore anchorage only