Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.

Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
9 00 S, 172 00 W
Oceania
total: 10 sq km ; land: 10 sq km ; water: 0 sq km
about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
0 km
101 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m ; highest point: unnamed location 5 m
NEGL
arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile) ; permanent crops: 0% ; other: 100% (2005)
NA


lies in Pacific typhoon belt
limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand

consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level
1,449 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 42% ; 15-64 years: 53% ; 65 years and over: 5%

-0.018% (2007 est.)
NA
NA
NA
NA
total: NA ; male: NA ; female: NA
total population: NA ; male: NA ; female: NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
noun: Tokelauan(s) ; adjective: Tokelauan
Polynesian
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
Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English
NA


conventional long form: none ; conventional short form: Tokelau
NA
none; each atoll has its own administrative center ; time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
none (territory of New Zealand)

none (territory of New Zealand)
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970
New Zealand and local statutes
21 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); New Zealand is represented by Administrator David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006) ; head of government: Kolouei O'BRIEN (2006); note - position rotates annually among the three Faipule (village leaders) ; cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors), functions as a cabinet ; elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term
unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has six seats, Fakaofo has seven seats, Atafu has eight seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the General Fono ; elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008)
Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau
none
none
PIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU
the flag of New Zealand is used
none (territory of New Zealand)
none (territory of New Zealand)
self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on self governance in October 2007 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status




Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public services with 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.
$1.5 million (1993 est.)
$NA
NA%
$1,000 (1993 est.)
agriculture: NA% ; industry: NA% ; services: NA%
440 (2001)

NA%
NA%


NA%

revenues: $430,800 ; expenditures: $2.8 million (1987 est.)

coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish
small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

NA kWh
fossil fuel: 100% ; hydro: 0% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
NA kWh













$0 f.o.b. (2002)
stamps, copra, handicrafts
New Zealand (2006)
$969,200 c.i.f. (2002)
New Zealand (2006)






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

300 (2002)

general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system ; domestic: radiotelephone service between islands ; international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (one radio station provides service to all islands) (2002)
1,000 (1997)


.tk
249 (2007)
1 (2000)
NA










none; offshore anchorage only







defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olohega) in its 2006 draft constitution



