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Tokelau


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Back to Countries, Click to read the whole article: Tokelau
Introduction - Tokelau:
CountryTokelau

BackgroundOriginally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.

Location - Tokelau:
LocationOceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates9 00 S, 172 00 W

Map referencesOceania

Areatotal: 10 sq km
land: 10 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area comparativeabout 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries0 km

Coastline101 km

Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climatetropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Terrainlow-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Elevation extremeslowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resourcesNEGL

Land usearable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated landNA

Natural hazardslies in Pacific typhoon belt

Environment current issueslimited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand

Geography noteconsists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level

People - Tokelau:
Population1,449 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53%
65 years and over: 5%

Dependency statusself-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on self governance in February 2006 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status

Population growth rate-0.018% (2007 est.)

Birth rateNA

Death rateNA

Net migration rateNA

Sex ratioNA

Infant mortality ratetotal: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birthtotal population: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Total fertility rateNA

Hiv aids adult prevalence rateNA

Hiv aids people living with hiv aidsNA

Hiv aids deathsNA

Nationalitynoun: Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan

Ethnic groupsPolynesian

ReligionsCongregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant

LanguagesTokelauan (a Polynesian language), English

LiteracyNA

Government - Tokelau:
Country nameconventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau

Government typeNA

Capitalnone; each atoll has its own administrative center
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisionsnone (territory of New Zealand)

Independencenone (territory of New Zealand)

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

Constitutionadministered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970

Legal systemNew Zealand and local statutes

Suffrage21 years of age; universal

Executive branchchief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006)
head of government: Kolouei OBRIEN (2006); note - position rotates annually among the three Faipule (village leaders)
cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors), functions as a cabinet
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term

Legislative branchunicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has six seats, Fakaofo has seven seats, Atafu has eight seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the General Fono
elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008)

Judicial branchSupreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau

Political parties and leadersnone

Political pressure groups and leadersnone

International organization participationPIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Diplomatic representation in the usnone (territory of New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation from the usnone (territory of New Zealand)

Flag descriptionthe flag of New Zealand is used

Economy - Tokelau:
Economy overviewTokelaus small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public services with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.

Gdp purchasing power parity $1.5 million (1993 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate NA

Gdp real growth rateNA%

Gdp per capita ppp $1,000 (1993 est.)

Gdp composition by sectoragriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Labor force440 (2001)

Unemployment rateNA%

Population below poverty lineNA%

Inflation rate consumer prices NA%

Budgetrevenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)

Agriculture productscoconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish

Industriessmall-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

Electricity productionNA kWh

Electricity consumptionNA kWh

Exports$0 f.o.b. (2002)

Exports commoditiesstamps, copra, handicrafts

Exports partnersNew Zealand (2006)

Imports$969,200 c.i.f. (2002)

Imports commoditiesfoodstuffs, building materials, fuel

Imports partnersNew Zealand (2006)

Economic aid recipientabout $4 million annually from New Zealand

Currency code New Zealand dollar (NZD)

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

Communications - Tokelau:
Fiscal year1 April - 31 March

Telephones main lines in use300 (2002)

Telephones mobile cellular0 (2001)

Telephone systemgeneral assessment: modern satellite-based communications system
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations

Radio broadcast stationsAM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (one radio station provides service to all islands) (2002)

Internet country code.tk

Internet hosts298 (2006)

Internet usersNA

Transportation - Tokelau:
Ports and terminalsnone; offshore anchorage only

Military - Tokelau:
Military notedefense is the responsibility of New Zealand


This page was last updated on 16 September, 2007
Source: CIA >>>

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