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 an estimated 1,492 in 2007), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
19 02 S, 169 52 W
Oceania
total: 260 sq km ; land: 260 sq km ; water: 0 sq km
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
64 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m ; highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
fish, arable land
arable land: 11.54% ; permanent crops: 15.38% ; other: 73.08% (2005)
NA


typhoons
increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea ; signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
one of world's largest coral islands
1,492 ; note: based on data for 2000 and 2001, which indicate a declining population trend that is assumed to continue (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: NA ; 15-64 years: NA ; 65 years and over: NA

-0.032% (2007 est.)
NA
NA
NA
NA
total: NA ; male: NA ; female: NA
total population: NA ; male: NA ; female: NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
noun: Niuean(s) ; adjective: Niuean
Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)
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)
Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
definition: NA ; total population: 95% ; male: NA ; female: NA


conventional long form: none ; conventional short form: Niue ; note: pronounciation falls between nyu-way and new-way, but not like new-wee ; former: Savage Island
self-governing parliamentary democracy
name: Alofi ; geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W ; time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order

on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
English common law; note - Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since 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 in May 2008) ; election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN 15%
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 in April 2008) ; election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue
Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]
NA
ACP, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
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
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
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




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 emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about US$2 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.
$7.6 million (2000 est.)
$10.01 million (2003)
6.2% (2003 est.)
$5,800 (2003 est.)
agriculture: 23.5% ; industry: 26.9% ; services: 49.5% (2003)
663 (2001)
note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
12% (2001)
NA%
lowest 10%: NA% ; highest 10%: NA%

4% (2005)

revenues: $15.07 million ; expenditures: $16.33 million (FY0405)

coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
tourism, handicrafts, food processing
NA%
3 million kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 100% ; hydro: 0% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
2.79 million kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
20 bbl/day (2005 est.)
0 bbl/day (2004)
20.38 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$201,400 (2004)
canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2006)
$9.038 million (2004)
New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2006)


$418,000 (2002 est.)



New Zealand dollar (NZD)
NZD
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003)
1 April - 31 March
$2.6 million from New Zealand (2002)
1,100 (2002 est.)
400 (2002)
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island ; international: country code - 683 (2001)
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
1,000 (1997)
1 (1997)
NA
.nu

1 (2000)
900 (2002)

1 (2007)
total: 1 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)




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


none; offshore anchorage only

no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force





defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
none



