Nuie

The following is the entry for the World from the CIA World Fact Book, 1992 edition.

:Niue Geography

Total area:

260 km2

Land area:

260 km2

Comparative area:

slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

none

Coastline:

64 km

Maritime claims:

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Territorial sea: 12 nm

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%

Environment:

subject to typhoons

Note:

one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean

:Niue People

Population:

1,751 (July 1992), growth rate - 6.4% (1992)

Birth rate:

NA births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate:

NA deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Net migration rate:

NA migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Infant mortality rate:

NA deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth:

NA years male, NA years female (1992)

Total fertility rate:

NA children born/woman (1992)

Nationality:

noun - Niuean(s); adjective - Niuean

Ethnic divisions:

Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans

Religions:

Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church) - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%

Languages:

Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English

Literacy:

NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 14

Labor force:

1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Organized labor:

:Niue Government

Long-form name:

none

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:

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

Constitution:

19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Legal system:

English common law

National holiday:

Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)

Executive branch:

British monarch, premier, Cabinet

Legislative branch:

Legislative Assembly

Judicial branch:

Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court

Leaders:

Chief of State:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974)

Head of Government:

Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since October 1974)

Political parties and leaders:

Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN

Suffrage:

universal adult at age 18

Elections:

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

Member of:

ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF

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

:Niue 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.

GNP:

exchange rate conversion - $2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real growth rate NA% (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 (FY85 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:

1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,490 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries:

tourist, handicrafts

Agriculture:

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

Economic aid:

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

Currency:

New Zealand dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates:

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8245 (March 1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

:Niue Communications

Highways:

123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads

Ports:

none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:

1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m

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

:Niue Defense Forces

Branches:

Police Force

Note:

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

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