1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (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
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 61%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 19%; other 12%
Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Total area
260 km2; land area: 260 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
NA births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
Infant mortality rate
NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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 (1991)
Literacy
NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 14
Nationality
noun--Niuean(s); adjective--Niuean
Net migration rate
NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
NA
Population
1,908 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.1% (1991)
Religion
Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)--a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%
Total fertility rate
NA children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Alofi
Constitution
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Diplomatic representation
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Elections
Legislative Assembly--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held March 1993); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, NIP 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
became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand on 19 October 1974
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), SPC, SPF
National holiday
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Political parties and leaders
Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN
Suffrage
universal adult at age 18
Type
self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs
Economy
Agriculture
copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops--taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
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
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $62 million
Electricity
1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,490 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (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 public employees. 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
Branches
Police Force
Note
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand _%_