1987 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1987 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Coastline
64 km
Comparative area
one and one-half times the size of Washington, D.C.
Environment
subject to typhoons
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Land use
61% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 19% forest and woodland; 12% other
Special notes
one of world’s largest coral islands
Terrain
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
260 km?; land area: 260 km?
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
Labor force
about 1,000 (1981); most Niueans work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Language
Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Literacy
education compulsory between 5 and 14 years of age
Nationality
noun—Niuean(s); adjective— Niuean
Population
2,602 (July 1987), average annual growth rate -3.21%
Religion
75% Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)—a Christian Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, 10% Morman, 5% Roman Catholic, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist
Government
Administrative divisions
14 village councils
Branches
Executive consists of a Cabinet of four members—the Premier (elected by the Assembly) and three ministers (chosen by the Premier from among Assembly members); Legislative Assembly consists of 20 members (14 village representatives and 6 elected on a common roll); if requested by the Assembly, New Zealand will also legislate for the island
Capital
Alofi
Elections
every three years; last election held March 1984
Government leaders
Sir Robert R. REX, Premier (since early 1950s); John SPRINGFORD, New Zealand Representative (since 1974)
Legal system
English common law
Member of
ESCAP (associate member), SPF
Official name
Niue
Suffrage
universal adult
Type
(since 1974) self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niueans retain New Zealand citizenship
Economy
Agriculture
coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops—taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Budget
revenues (including New Zealand subsidy of $2.3 million) $3.2 million; expenditures, $3.8 million (FY83/84 est.)
Electric power
1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$301,224 (f.0.b. 1983); canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, handicrafts
Fiseal year
] April-31 March
Fishing
930,000 metric tons (1982)
GNP
$3 million (1984), per capita GDP $1,080 (1984)
Imports
$1,504,180 (c.i.f. 1983); food and live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs Major trade partners; exports—New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia; imports—New Zealand, Fiji, Japan, Western Samoa, Australia, US
Major industries
small tourist industry
Monetary conversion rate
uses New Zealand currency; NZ$1.93=US$1 (November 1986)
Communications
Airfields
1 total, ] usable with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m (capable of taking intermediate-size jet aircraft)
Highways
123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads
Ports
no natural harbor; open roadstead offers anchorage offshore from Alofi, from where servicing is by small boat
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; 383 telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1983 est.); 1 radio station; no TV service