1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Coastline
64 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Environment
subject to typhoons
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
61% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 19% forest and woodland; 12% other
Natural resources
fish, arable land
Note
one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga
Terrain
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
260 km2; land area: 260 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
NA births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
Infant mortality rate
NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Language
Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Life expectancy at birth
NA years male, NA years female (1990)
Literacy
NA%, but education compulsory between 5 and 14 years of age
Nationality
noun--Niuean(s); adjective--Niuean
Net migration rate
NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
NA
Population
2,019 (July 1990), growth rate NA (1990)
Religion
75% Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)--a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, 10% Mormon, 5% Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist
Total fertility rate
NA children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Alofi
Constitution
no formal, written constitution
Diplomatic representation
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Elections
Legislative Assembly--last held on 28 March 1987 (next to be held NA 1990); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, Niue People's Action Party 1
Executive branch
British monarch, premier, Cabinet
Flag
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
Independence
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Judicial branch
Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974); Head of Government--Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October 1974)
Legal system
English common law
Legislative branch
Legislative Assembly
Long-form name
none
Member of
ESCAP (associate member), SPF
National holiday
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Political parties and leaders
Niue People's Action Party, leader NA
Suffrage
universal adult at age 18
Type
self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand
Economy
Agriculture
copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops--taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $58 million
Budget
revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY85 est.)
Currency
New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Electricity
1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,420 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Exports
$175,274 (f.o.b., 1985); commodities--canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts; partners--NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GNP
$2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Imports
$3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985); commodities--food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs; partners--NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
tourist, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9.6% (1984)
Overview
The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the shortfall made up by grants from New Zealand--the grants are used to pay wages to the 80% or more of the work force employed in public service. 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.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
Highways
123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads
Ports
none; offshore anchorage only
Telecommunications
single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; 383 telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.); stations--1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand