1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

none

Affiliation

(free association with New Zealand)

Agriculture

coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops - taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle

Airports

total: 1 usable: 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

Area

total area: 260 sq km land area: 260 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Branches

Police Force

Budget

revenues: $5.5 million expenditures: $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.)

Capital

Alofi

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Coastline

64 km

Constitution

19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Currency

1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Digraph

NE

Diplomatic representation in US

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

Economic aid

recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $62 million

Electricity

capacity: 1,500 kW production: 3 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,490 kWh (1990)

Environment

current issues: NA natural hazards: subject to typhoons international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Ethnic divisions

Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans)

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.7771 (January 1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989)

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative Kurt MEYER (since NA) head of government: Premier Frank F. LUI (since 12 March 1993; Acting Premier since December 1992) cabinet: Cabinet; consists of the premier and three other ministers

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

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

Highways

total: 229 km unpaved: all-weather 123 km; plantation access 106 km

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

Independence

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

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

tourist, handicrafts, coconut products

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9.6% (1984)

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court

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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 61% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 4% forest and woodland: 19% other: 12%

Languages

Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English

Legal system

English common law

Legislative Assembly

elections last held on 6 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1996); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (20 total, 6 elected)

Legislative branch

unicameral

Literacy

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Location

Oceania, Polynesia, 460 km east of Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Member of

ESCAP (associate), INTELSAT (signatory user), 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)

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%

Nationality

noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean

Natural resources

fish, arable land

Note

one of world's largest coral islands

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

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.

Political parties and leaders

Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN

Population

1,906 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

3.66% (1994 est.)

Ports

none; offshore anchorage only

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)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

Terrain

steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Type

self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs

Unemployment rate

NA%

US diplomatic representation

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