1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 260 km2 land area: 260 km2 comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Coastline
64 km
Environment
subject to typhoons
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 61% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 19% other: 12%
Location
Oceania, 460 km east of Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
fish, arable land
Note
one of world's largest coral islands
Terrain
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
People and Society
Birth rate
NA births/1,000 population
Death rate
NA deaths/1,000 population
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans)
Infant mortality rate
NA deaths/1,000 live births
Labor force
1,000 (1981 est.) by occupation: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Languages
Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English
Life expectancy at birth
total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years
Literacy
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean
Net migration rate
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Population
1,977 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
-3.66% (1993 est.)
Religions
Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church) 75% - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, Morman 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Total fertility rate
NA children born/woman
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Alofi
Chief of State
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since NA 1974)
Constitution
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Digraph
NE
Diplomatic representation in US
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
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
Head of Government
Acting Premier Young VIVIAN (since the death of Sir Robert R. REX on 12 December 1992)
Independence
19 October 1974 (became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand on 19 October 1974)
Judicial branch
Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
Legal system
English common law
Legislative Assembly
last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held March 1993); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (20 total, 6 elected) NIP 1, independents 5
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Assembly
Member of
ESCAP (associate), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Niue
National holiday
Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty)
Political parties and leaders
Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs
US diplomatic representation
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Economy
Agriculture
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 $NA (FY85 est.)
Currency
1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $62 million
Electricity
1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,490 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.9486 (January 1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988)
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
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, coconut products
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9.6% (1984)
National product
GNP - exchange rate conversion - $2.1 million (1989 est.)
National product per capita
$1,000 (1989 est.)
National product real growth rate
NA%
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
total: 1 useable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1
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.); broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
Military and Security
Branches
Police Force
Note
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand