| NIUE (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) @Niue: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: sq km Area-comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 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 m highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m Natural resources: fish, arable land Land use: arable land: 19% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 19% other: 50% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: NA sq km Natural hazards: typhoons Environment-current issues: traditional methods of burning brush and trees to clear land for agriculture have threatened soil supplies which are not naturally very abundant Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea Geography-note: one of world's largest coral islands @Niue:People Population: 1,647 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA Population growth rate: -3.65% (1998 est.) Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births Life expectancy at birth: total population: NA male: NA female: NA Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman Nationality: noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean Ethnic groups: Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans) Religions: Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church) 75%-a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist) Languages: Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English Literacy: definition: NA total population: 95% male: NA% female: NA% @Niue:Government Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Niue Data code: NE Dependency status: self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy National capital: Alofi Administrative divisions: none; note-there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages each with its own village council whose members are elected and serve three-year terms Independence: on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand National holiday: Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty) Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) Legal system: English common law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952); the queen and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner Warren SEARELL (since NA August 1993) head of government: Premier Frank Fakaotimanava LUI (since 12 March 1993) cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 23 February 1996 (next to be held NA March 1999) election results: Frank Fakaotimanava LUI elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote-NA 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 23 February 1996 (next to be held NA March 1999) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NPP 9, independents 11 Judicial branch: Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue Political parties and leaders: Niue People's Action Party (NPP), Young VIVIAN International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) 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 @Niue:Economy Economy-overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand and remittances as Niue has no indigenous export product. 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. Niue cut government expenditures in 1994-96 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. A small tourist industry is developing. GDP: purchasing power parity-$2.4 million (1993 est.) GDP-real growth rate: NA% GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,200 (1993 est.) GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Inflation rate-consumer price index: 5% (1992) Labor force: total: 450 (1992 est.) by occupation: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues: $5.5 million expenditures: $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.) Industries: tourism, handicrafts, food processing Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity-capacity: 1,000 kW (1995) Electricity-production: 3 million kWh (1995) Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,633 kWh (1995) Agriculture-products: coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle Exports: total value: $117,500 (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts partners: NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia Imports: total value: $4.1 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs partners: NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Samoa, Australia, US Debt-external: $NA Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $5.9 million from NZ (FY95/96) Currency: 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1-1.7283 (January 1998), 1.5082 (1997), 1.4543 (1996), 1.5235 (1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March Communications Telephones: 276 (1992 est.) Telephone system: domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: NA Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave (1987 est.) Radios: 1,000 Television broadcast stations: note: there is cable television Televisions: 312 (1991 est.) @Niue:Transportation Railways: km Highways: total: 234 km paved: km unpaved: 234 km Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only Merchant marine: none Airports: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.) @Niue:Military Military branches: Police Force Military-note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand @Niue:Transnational Issues Disputes-international: none | |
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