Niue

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Introduction - Niue:
Country	Niue


Background	Niues remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to an estimated 1,492 in 2007), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.


Location - Niue:
Location	Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Geographic coordinates	19 02 S, 169 52 W

Map references	Oceania

Area	total: 260 sq km land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area comparative	1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries	0 km

Coastline	64 km

Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate	tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Terrain	steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m

Natural resources	fish, arable land

Land use	arable land: 11.54% permanent crops: 15.38% other: 73.08% (2005)

Irrigated land	NA

Natural hazards	typhoons

Environment current issues	increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Environment international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography note	one of worlds largest coral islands

People - Niue:
Population	1,492 note: based on data for 2000 and 2001, which indicate a declining population trend that is assumed to continue (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Dependency status	self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue

Population growth rate	-0.032% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	NA

Death rate	NA

Net migration rate	NA

Sex ratio	NA

Infant mortality rate	total: NA male: NA female: NA

Life expectancy at birth	total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Total fertility rate	NA

Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	NA

Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	NA

Hiv aids deaths	NA

Nationality	noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean

Ethnic groups	Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)

Religions	Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints 8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovahs Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9% (2001 census)

Languages	Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English

Literacy	definition: NA total population: 95% male: NA female: NA

Government - Niue:
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island

Government type	self-governing parliamentary democracy

Capital	name: Alofi geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions	none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order

Independence	on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand

National holiday	Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Constitution	19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Legal system	English common law; note - Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws

Suffrage	18 years of age; universal

Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since May 2000) head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1 May 2002) cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 12 May 2005 (next to be held in May 2008) election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN 85%, OLove JACOBSEN 15%

Legislative branch	unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives) elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be held in April 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch	Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue

Political parties and leaders	Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue Peoples Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders	NA

International organization participation	ACP, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the us	none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation from the us	none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Flag description	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 - Niue:
Economy overview	The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. 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 emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about US$2 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.

Gdp purchasing power parity	$7.6 million (2000 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$10.01 million (2003)

Gdp real growth rate	6.2% (2003 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$5,800 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 23.5% industry: 26.9% services: 49.5% (2003)

Labor force	663 (2001)

Labor force by occupation	note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Unemployment rate	12% (2001)

Population below poverty line	NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate consumer prices	4% (2005)

Budget	revenues: $15.07 million expenditures: $16.33 million; including capital expenditures of $123,700 (FY04/05)

Agriculture products	coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle

Industries	tourism, handicrafts, food processing

Industrial production growth rate	NA%

Electricity production	3 million kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	2.79 million kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil consumption	20 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	0 bbl

Natural gas production	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports	$201,400 (2004)

Exports commodities	canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts

Exports partners	New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2006)

Imports	$9.038 million (2004)

Imports commodities	food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs

Imports partners	New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2006)

Debt external	$418,000 (2002 est.)

Economic aid recipient	$2.6 million from New Zealand (2002)

Currency code	New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Exchange rates	New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002)

Communications - Niue:
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March

Telephones main lines in use	1,100 (2002 est.)

Telephones mobile cellular	400 (2002)

Telephone system	domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: country code - 683 (2001)

Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)

Internet country code	.nu

Internet users	900 (2002)

Transportation - Niue:
Airports	1 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways	total: 234 km paved: 86 km unpaved: 148 km (2001)

Ports and terminals	none; offshore anchorage only

Military - Niue:
Military branches	no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force

Military note	defense is the responsibility of New Zealand