_#_Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
_#_Natural resources: fish, arable land
_#_Land use: arable land 61%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures
4%; forest and woodland 19%; other 12%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons
_#_Note: one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km
east of Tonga
_*_People
_#_Population: 1,908 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Niuean(s); adjective--Niuean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and
Tongans
_#_Religion: Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)--a Protestant church
closely related to the London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%,
Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%
_#_Language: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan;
English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education
age 5 to 14
_#_Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations;
paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue
Development Board
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: self-governing territory in free association with New
Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand
retains responsibility for external affairs
_#_Capital: Alofi
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: became a self-governing territory in free
association with New Zealand on 19 October 1974
_#_Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
_#_Legal system: English common law
_#_National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established
British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, premier, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974);
Head of Government--Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October
1974)
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be
held March 1993);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, NIP 1
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing territory in free
association with New Zealand)
_#_Flag: 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
_#_Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New
Zealand. 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. 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.
_#_GNP: $2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real growth rate NA%
(1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6% (1984)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY85 est.)
_#_Exports: $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985);
commodities--canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit
products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts;
partners--NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
_#_Imports: $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985);
commodities--food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery,
fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs;
partners--NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced,
1,490 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourist, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes;
subsistence crops--taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs,
poultry, beef cattle
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-88), $62 million
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars);
1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January
1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088
(1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*_Communications
_#_Highways: 123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation
roads
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
_#_Telecommunications: single-line telephone system connects all
villages on island; 383 telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.);
stations--1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
_*_Defense Forces
_#_Branches: Police Force
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
_%_
_@_Norfolk Island
(territory of Australia)
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 34.6 km2; land area: 34.6 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 32 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;