Niue

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1987 est.)

Radios

1,000

Telephone system

domestic : single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: NA

Telephones

276 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 note: there is cable television

Televisions

312 (1991 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

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

Currency

1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $5.9 million from NZ (FY95/96)

Economy - overview

The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand as Niue has no indigenous export product. 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. Niue has cut government expenditures in 1994-96, however, 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 migration of Niueans to New Zealand.

Electricity - capacity

NA kW

Electricity - consumption per capita

NA kWh

Electricity - production

NA kWh

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.4247 (January 1997), 1.4543 (1996), 1.5235 (1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992)

Exports

total value: $117,500 (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts partners: NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2.4 million (1993 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,200 (1993 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Imports

total value: $4.1 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs partners : NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, handicrafts, food processing

Inflation rate - consumer price index

5% (1992)

Labor force

total: 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

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

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

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Coastline

64 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

traditional methods of burning brush and trees to clear land for agriculture have threatened soil supplies which are not naturally very abundant

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

19 02 S, 169 52 W

Geography - note

one of world's largest coral islands

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 19% permanent crops : 8% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 19% other: 50% (1993 est.)

Location

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

typhoons

Natural resources

fish, arable land

Terrain

steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Administrative divisions

none

Constitution

19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Niue

Data code

NE

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952); the queen and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner Warren SEARELL (since NA August 1993) head of government: Premier Frank Fakaotimanava LUI (acting premier since NA December 1992, premier since 12 March 1993) cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 23 February 1996 (next to be held NA March 1999) election results: Frank Fakaotimanava LUI elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - NA

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

Government type

self-governing parliamentary democracy

Independence

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

International organization participation

ESCAP (associate), Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO

Judicial branch

Appeal Court of New Zealand; High Court

Legal system

English common law

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 23 February 1996 (next to be held NA March 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11

National capital

Alofi

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Niue Peoples Party (NPP), Robert REX, Jr.

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Military branches

Police Force

Age structure

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

Birth rate

NA births/1,000 population

Death rate

NA deaths/1,000 population

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

NA deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: NA years male: NA years female : NA years

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Population

1,708 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

-3.65% (1997 est.)

Religions

Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church) 75% - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist)

Sex ratio

at birth: NA male(s)/female under 15 years : NA male(s)/female 15-64 years: NA male(s)/female 65 years and over: NA male(s)/female total population: NA male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

NA children born/woman

Disputes - international

none NORFOLK ISLAND (territory of Australia)

Airports

1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 229 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 229 km

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

none; offshore anchorage only

Railways

0 km