ARCHIVE // NU // 2000
Niue
2000 Edition — territory
1990
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1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
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2000
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2008
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2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Communications
Internet users
(Internet Service Providers (ISPs))
[time series]
NA
Broadcast media
(Radio broadcast stations)
[time series]
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
[time series]
1,000 (1997)
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: NA
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones - main lines in use)
[time series]
376 (1991)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
0 (1991)
Broadcast media
(Television broadcast stations)
[time series]
1 (1997)
Televisions
[time series]
NA
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exchange rates
(Currency)
[time series]
1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Debt - external
[time series]
$NA
Economic aid
(Economic aid - recipient)
[time series]
$8.3 million (1995)
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
The economy is heavily dependent on aid and remittances from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by grants from New Zealand which are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry.
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
3 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports
[time series]
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports
[time series]
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - production
[time series]
3 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source
[time series]
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)
Exchange rates
[time series]
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.9451 (January 2000), 1.8889 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5082 (1997), 1.4543 (1996), 1.5235 (1995)
Exports
[time series]
$117,500 (f.o.b., 1989)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
Exports - partners
[time series]
NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
Fiscal year
[time series]
1 April - 31 March
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $4.5 million (1994 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
(GDP - composition by sector)
[time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $2,250 (1994 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
[time series]
$4.1 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs
Imports - partners
[time series]
NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Samoa, Australia, US
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
NA%
Industries
[time series]
tourism, handicrafts, food processing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
1% (1995)
Labor force
[time series]
450 (1992 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Population below poverty line
[time series]
NA%
Unemployment rate
[time series]
NA%
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 260 sq km land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
[time series]
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Coastline
[time series]
64 km
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
19 02 S, 169 52 W
Geography - note
[time series]
one of world's largest coral islands
Irrigated land
[time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries
[time series]
0 km
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 19% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 19% other: 50% (1993 est.)
Location
[time series]
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
Map references
[time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims
[time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
[time series]
typhoons
Natural resources
[time series]
fish, arable land
Terrain
[time series]
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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
Capital
[time series]
Alofi
Constitution
[time series]
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Niue
Data code
[time series]
NE
Dependency status
[time series]
self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner Warren SEARELL (since NA August 1993) 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
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
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
[time series]
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Independence
[time series]
on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand
International organization participation
[time series]
ESCAP (associate), Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO, WMO
Judicial branch
[time series]
Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue
Legal system
[time series]
English common law
Legislative branch
[time series]
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
National holiday
[time series]
Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty)
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
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.
Military
Military - note
[time series]
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
Police Force
People
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Birth rate
[time series]
NA births/1,000 population
Death rate
[time series]
NA deaths/1,000 population
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
NA deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years
Literacy
[time series]
definition: NA total population: 95% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean
Net migration rate
[time series]
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Population
[time series]
2,113 (July 2000 est.)
Population growth rate
[time series]
0.47% (2000 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 75%, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
NA children born/woman
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
none [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Roadways
(Highways)
[time series]
total: 234 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 234 km
Merchant marine
[time series]
none (1999 est.)
Ports
(Ports and harbors)
[time series]
none; offshore anchorage only
Railways
[time series]
0 km