Tokelau

territory of New ZealandIndependence none (territory of New Zealand)

Tokelau as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 62 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

Capitalnone, each atoll has its own administrative center
Area10 km2
1990

Every edition of Tokelau

Populationas each edition published it
1,700 people July 1990 · 2,453 in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition -1.35% in 1993
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $800 in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 10 km2

forest and woodland 0%other 100%arable land 0% in all · permanent crops 0% in all · meadows and pastures 0% in all
Total area
10km2
land area: 10 km2Comparative area: about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Coastline
101km
land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Terrain

coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Environment

lies in Pacific typhoon belt

Note

located 3,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

People

14 fields
Population
1,700
(July 1990), growth rate 0.0% (1990)

Religion

Congregational Christian Church 70%Roman Catholic 30%on Atafu; all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu; all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo; both denominations; with the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Birth rate

NA births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate

NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate

NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

NA years male, NA years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

NA children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Tokelauan(s); adjective--Tokelauan

Ethnic divisions

all Polynesian, with cultural ties to Western Samoa

Language

Tokelauan (a Polynesian language) and English

Literacy

NA%, but probably high

Government

Territory of New Zealand

16 fields

Type

territory of New Zealand

Capital

none, each atoll has its own administrative center

Administrative divisions

none (territory of New Zealand)

Independence

none (territory of New Zealand)

Constitution

administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970

National holiday

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

Executive branch

administrator (appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand), official secretary

Legislative branch

Council of Elders (Taupulega) on each atoll

Judicial branch

  • High Court in Niue, Supreme Court in New Zealand Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
  • Head of Government--Administrator Neil WALTER;
  • Official Secretary M. NORRISH, Office of Tokelau Affairs

Communists

probably none

Diplomatic representation

none (territory of New Zealand)

Flag

the flag of New Zealand is used

Economy

Tokelau's small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$1.4million
per capita $800; real growth rate NA% (1988 est.)

Overview

Tokelau's small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people must rely on aid from New Zealand to maintain public services, 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.

Budget

revenues $430,830; expenditures $2.8 million, including capital expenditures of $37,300 (FY87)

Exports

  • $98,000 (f.o.b., 1983);
  • commodities--stamps, copra, handicrafts;
  • partners--NZ

Imports

  • $323,400 (c.i.f., 1983);
  • commodities--foodstuffs, building materials, fuel;
  • partners--NZ

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

200 kW capacity; 0.30 million kWh produced, 175 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

  • small-scale enterprises for copra production, wood work, plaited craft goods;
  • stamps, coins;
  • fishing

Agriculture

  • coconuts, copra;
  • basic subsistence crops--breadfruit, papaya, bananas;
  • pigs, poultry, goats

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $21 million

Currency

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

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Communications

3 fields

Ports

none; offshore anchorage only

Airports

none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from Western Samoa

Telecommunications

telephone service between islands and to Western Samoa

Defense Forces

1 field

Note

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Central Intelligence Agency. “Tokelau.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tokelau/1990.

How to cite 1991 edition →