Tokelau

Airports

none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from Western Samoa

Highways

total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA

Ports

none; offshore anchorage only

Telecommunications

radiotelephone service between islands and to Western Samoa

Note

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Agriculture

coconuts, copra; basic subsistence crops - breadfruit, papaya, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats

Budget

revenues: $430,830 expenditures: $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $37,300 (1987 est.)

Currency

1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $24 million

Electricity

capacity: 200 kW production: 300,000 kWh consumption per capita: 180 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.7771 (January 1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), l.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6708 (1989)

Exports

$98,000 (f.o.b., 1983) commodities: stamps, copra, handicrafts partners: NZ

External debt

$0

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Imports

$323,400 (c.i.f., 1983) commodities: foodstuffs, building materials, fuel partners: NZ

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

small-scale enterprises for copra production, wood work, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.4 million (1988 est.)

National product per capita

$800 (1988 est.)

National product real growth rate

NA%

Overview

Tokelau's small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people must rely on aid from New Zealand to maintain public services, annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 10 sq km land area: 10 sq km comparative area: about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Coastline

101 km

Environment

current issues: very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand natural hazards: lies in Pacific typhoon belt international agreements: NA

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%

Location

Oceania, Polynesia, 3,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

negligible

Terrain

coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Administrative divisions

none (territory of New Zealand)

Capital

none; each atoll has its own administrative center

Chief of State

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

Constitution

administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970

Digraph

TL

Diplomatic representation in US

none (territory of New Zealand)

Flag

the flag of New Zealand is used

Head of Government

Administrator Graham ANSELL (since NA 1990; appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand); Official Secretary Casimilo J. PEREZ (since NA), Office of Tokelau Affairs; Tokelau's governing Council will elect its first head of government

Independence

none (territory of New Zealand)

Judicial branch

High Court in Niue, Supreme Court in New Zealand

Legal system

British and local statutes

Legislative branch

unicameral Council of Elders (Taupulega) on each atoll

Member of

SPC, WHO (associate)

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tokelau

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

NA

Suffrage

NA

Type

territory of New Zealand

US diplomatic representation

none (territory of New Zealand)

Ethnic divisions

Polynesian

Labor force

NA

Languages

Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English

Literacy

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Tokelauan(s) adjective: Tokelauan

Population

1,523 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

-1.35% (1994 est.)

Religions

Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2% note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant