Niue
none conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Niue as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 107 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Niue's 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 2,100 in 2000) with substantial emigration to New Zealand.
Geography
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
18 fieldsElevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
Land use
arable land: 19% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 19% other: 50% (1993 est.)
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 signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
People
17 fieldsGovernment
Self-governing parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
19 fieldsLegislative Assembly, 20 seatsone dot, one seat
Dependency status
- self-governing in free association with New Zealand;
- Niue fully responsible for internal affairs;
- New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs
Administrative divisions
none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages each with its own village council whose members are elected and serve three-year terms
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)
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
- the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000) head of government: Premier Sani LAKATANI (since 1 April 1999) 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 19 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2002) election results: Sani LAKATANI elected premier;
- percent of Legislative Assembly vote - NA%
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 19 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11
International organization participation
ACP, ESCAP (associate), FAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, 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
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.
32 fieldsElectricity
Economy - overview
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 migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry.
Labor force - by occupation
most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Agriculture - products
coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Exports - commodities
canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
Imports - commodities
food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs
Exchange rates
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.2502 (January 2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5082 (1997), 1.4543 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
general assessment: primitive system domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: NA
Transportation
7 fieldsHighways
total: 234 km paved: 86 km unpaved: 148 km (106 km of which is access and plantation road) (2001)
Military
Police Force
2 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Niue.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/niue/2001.