Niue




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (free association with New Zealand)


                                 Geography


Location:
     Oceania, Polynesia, 460 km east of Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean
Map references:
     Oceania
Area:
total area:
     260 sq km
land area:
     260 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     64 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
     steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Natural resources:
     fish, arable land
Land use:
arable land:
     61%
permanent crops:
     4%
meadows and pastures:
     4%
forest and woodland:
     19%
other:
     12%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     subject to typhoons




international agreements:
     signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea
Note:
     one of world's largest coral islands


                                  People


Population:
     1,906 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     3.66% (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Niuean(s)
adjective:
     Niuean
Ethnic divisions:
     Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans)
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)
Languages:
     Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English
Literacy:
total population:
     NA%
male:
     NA%
female:
     NA%
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


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     none
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     NE
Type:
     self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue
     fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains
     responsibility for external affairs
Capital:
     Alofi
Administrative divisions:
     none




Independence:
     19 October 1974 (became a self-governing territory in free association
     with New Zealand on 19 October 1974)
National holiday:
     Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established
     British sovereignty)
Constitution:
     19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Legal system:
     English common law
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
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
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
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)
Judicial branch:
     Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
Political parties and leaders:
     Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN
Member of:
     ESCAP (associate), INTELSAT (signatory user), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF
Diplomatic representation in US:
     none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
US diplomatic representation:
     none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
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


                                  Economy


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.




National product:
     GNP - exchange rate conversion - $2.1 million (1989 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     NA%
National product per capita:
     $1,000 (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     9.6% (1984)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $5.5 million
expenditures:
     $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.)
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
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
External debt:
     $NA
Industrial production:
     growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
     1,500 kW
production:
     3 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     1,490 kWh (1990)
Industries:
     tourist, handicrafts, coconut products
Agriculture:
     coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops - taro, yams,
     cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Economic aid:
recipient:
     Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
     (1970-89), $62 million
Currency:
     1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
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)




Fiscal year:
     1 April - 31 March


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     229 km
unpaved:
     all-weather 123 km; plantation access 106 km
Ports:
     none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
total:
     1
usable:
     1
with permanent-surface runways:
     1
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     1
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


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Police Force
Note:
     defense is the responsibility of New Zealand