Niue

Voyagers from Samoa first settled on Niue around A.D. 900, and a second main group of settlers came from Tonga around 1500. With only one reliable source of fresh water, conflict was high on the island. Samoan and Tongan customs heavily influenced Niuean culture, including the formation of an island-wide elected kingship system in the early 1700s. In 1774, British explorer James COOK landed on the island and named it Savage Island because of the Niueans' hostility. Missionaries arrived in 1830 but were also largely unsuccessful at staying on the island until 1846, when a Niuean trained as a Samoan missionary returned to the island and provided a space from which the missionaries could work. In addition to converting the population, the missionaries worked to stop the violent conflicts and helped establish the first parliament in 1849. Great Britain established a protectorate over Niue in 1900. The following year, Niue was annexed to New Zealand and included as part of the Cook Islands. Niue’s remoteness and cultural and linguistic differences with the Cook Islands led New Zealand to separate Niue into its own administration in 1904. The island became internally self-governing in 1974; it is an independent member of international organizations but is in free association with New Zealand, which is responsible for defense and foreign affairs. In September 2023, the US recognized Niue as a sovereign and independent state.

land

260 sq km

total

260 sq km

water

0 sq km

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

64 km

highest point

unnamed elevation 1.4 km east of Hikutavake 80 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

19 02 S, 169 52 W

one of world's largest coral islands; the only major break in the surrounding coral reef occurs in the central western part of the coast

0 sq km (2022)

total

0 km

agricultural land

19.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.8% (2018 est.)

forest

71.2% (2018 est.)

other

9.7% (2018 est.)

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

Oceania

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

tropical cyclones

arable land, fish

population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

beer

4.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

8.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.89 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

7.8% of GDP (2020)

elderly dependency ratio

25.4

potential support ratio

3.9 (2021)

total dependency ratio

70.4

youth dependency ratio

44.9

improved: total

total: 97% of population

unimproved: total

total: 3% of population (2020 est.)

Niuean 65.4%, part-Niuean 14%, non-Niuean 20.6% (2017 est.)

note

note: data represent the resident population

Niuean 46% (official, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and others 5%, other 6% (2011 est.)

1,000 ALOFI (capital) (2018)

adjective

Niuean

noun

Niuean(s)

50% (2016)

note

note: because of the island's limited economic and educational opportunities, Niueans have emigrated for decades - primarily to New Zealand but also to Australia and other Pacific island states; Niue's population peaked in 1966 at 5,194, but by 2005 had fallen to 1,508; since then, it has rebounded slightly; as of 2013, 23,883 people of Niuean ancestry lived in New Zealand - with more than 20% Niue-born - or about 15 times as many persons of Niuean ancestry living in New Zealand as in Niue

total

2,000 (2022 est.)

population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

-0.03% (2021 est.)

Ekalesia Niue (Congregational Christian Church of Niue - a Protestant church founded by missionaries from the London Missionary Society) 61.7%, Church of Jesus Christ 8.7%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Jehovah's Witness 2.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.2%, none 8.9% (2017 est.)

improved: total

total: 95.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4.5% of population (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

48.2% of total population (2023)

none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order

geographic coordinates

19 01 S, 169 55 W

name

Alofi

time difference

UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

amendments

proposed by the Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and approval by at least two-thirds majority votes in a referendum; passage of amendments to a number of sections, including Niue’s self-governing status, British nationality and New Zealand citizenship, external affairs and defense, economic and administrative assistance by New Zealand, and amendment procedures, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and at least two thirds of votes in a referendum; amended 1992, 2007; note - in early 2021, the constitution review committee of the Assembly requested suggestions from the public about changes to the constitution

history

several previous (New Zealand colonial statutes); latest 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act 1974)

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Niue

etymology

the origin of the name is obscure; in Niuean, the word supposedly translates as "behold the coconut"

former

Savage Island

note

note: pronunciation falls between nyu-way and new-way, but not like new-wee

self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue is 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

embassy

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

note

note: on 25 September 2023, the US officially established diplomatic relations with Niue

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

cabinet

Cabinet chosen by the prime minister

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General of New Zealand Cindy KIRO (since 21 October 2021); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner Mark GIBBS (since 5 March 2024)

election results

Dalton TAGELAGI reelected prime minister; Legislative Assembly vote - Dalton TAGELAGI (independent) 16, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 4

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly for a 3-year term; election last held on 8 May 2023 (next to be held in 2026)

head of government

Prime Minister Dalton TAGELAGI; also referred to as premier (since 10 June 2020)

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 star on a blue disk in the center and a smaller star on each arm of the bold red cross; the larger star stands for Niue, the smaller stars recall the Southern Cross constellation on the New Zealand flag and symbolize links with that country; yellow represents the bright sunshine of Niue and the warmth and friendship between Niue and New Zealand

parliamentary democracy

19 October 1974 (Niue became a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand)

ACP, AOSIS, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and up to 3 judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) is the final appeal court beyond the Niue Court of Appeal

judge selection and term of office

Niue chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet and tendered by the premier; other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet and tendered by the chief justice and the minister of justice; judges serve until age 68

note

note: Niue is a participant in the Pacific Judicial Development Program, which is designed to build governance and the rule of law in 15 Pacific island countries

subordinate courts

High Court

English common law

description

unicameral Assembly or Fono Ekepule (20 seats; 14 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 6 directly elected from the National Register or "common roll" by majority vote; members serve 3-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 20; composition - men 14, women 6, percentage women 30%

elections

last held on 29 April 2023 (next to be held in 2026)

lyrics/music

unknown/unknown, prepared by Sioeli FUSIKATA

name

"Ko e Iki he Lagi" (The Lord in Heaven)

note

note: adopted 1974

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

yellow, five-pointed star; national color: yellow

none

18 years of age; universal

taro, coconuts, fruits, sweet potatoes, tropical fruits, yams, vegetables, lemons/limes, bananas, pork (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

upper-middle-income self-governing New Zealand territorial economy; environmentally fragile; massive emigration; post-pandemic tourism rebound; postage stamps, small-scale agricultural processing, and subsistence farming; most recent Asian Development Bank member

Currency

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1.518 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.542 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.414 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.577 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.628 (2023 est.)

Exports 2021

$5.68 million (2021 est.)

broadcasting equipment, abrasive powder, collector's items, coin, milling stones (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

US 56%, Brazil 9%, UK 6%, Kuwait 4%, Australia 4% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Imports 2021

$43.8 million (2021 est.)

iron structures, ships, refined petroleum, plastic products, cars (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

UK 46%, NZ 31%, Japan 19%, Brazil 1%, US 1% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

handicrafts, food processing

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$20.9 million (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$19.9 million (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$18.7 million (2021 est.)

note

note: data are in 2009 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$12,400 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$11,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$11,100 (2021 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

8,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

8,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

3 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

3,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

400,000 kWh (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

58.2 bbl/day (2022 est.)

1 government-owned TV station with many of the programs supplied by Television New Zealand; 1 government-owned radio station broadcasting in AM and FM (2019)

.nu

percent of population

79.6% (2021 est.)

total

1,512 (2021 est.)

domestic

single-line (fixed line) telephone system connects all villages on island; fixed teledensity at nearly 52 per 100 (2021)

general assessment

in 2020, the Manatua One Polynesia Fiber Cable provided Niue with high speed Internet access for the first time replacing a 4 megabit satellite link with gigabit fiber connectivity; the government set out a strategy to upgrade to a new infrastructure that would be robust enough to operate reliably in a challenging climate: 40 40°C heat, 40% humidity, salty air, frequent power outages during storms, and no air conditioning (2022)

international

country code - 683; landing point for the Manatua submarine cable linking Niue to several South Pacific Ocean Islands; expansion of satellite services (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

52 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

1,000 (2021 est.)

1 (2024)

by type

bulk carrier 5, container ship 2, general cargo 29, oil tanker 4, other 30

total

70 (2023)

key ports

Alofi

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

1

paved

210 km

total

234 km

unpaved

24 km (2017)

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force

particulate matter emissions

6.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

agricultural land

19.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.8% (2018 est.)

forest

71.2% (2018 est.)

other

9.7% (2018 est.)

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

rate of urbanization

1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

48.2% of total population (2023)