| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Niue
former: Savage Island |
| Capital: |
Alofi |
| Location: |
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
19 02 S, 169 52 W |
| Area: |
total: 260 sq km
land: 260 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land
Boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
64 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
|
| Climate: |
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds |
| Terrain: |
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
fish, arable land |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
self-governing parliamentary democracy (self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue ) |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order |
| 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) |
| Constitution: |
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) |
| Legal
System; |
English common law
note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
| 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 Young VIVIAN (since 1 May 2002)
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 1 May 2002 (next to be held May 2005)
election results: Young VIVIAN elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 70%, Hunukitama HUNUKI (AI) 30% |
| 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 21 March 2002 (next to be held March 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11; note - all 20 seats were reelected |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]; Alliance of Independents or AI [leader NA] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
2,166 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA |
| Median age: |
|
| Nationality: |
noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean |
| Ethnic groups: |
Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans) |
| Religions: |
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) |
| Languages: |
Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
1,100 est (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
400 (2002) |
| Telephone system: |
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
international: country code - 683 |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
1 (1997) |
| Internet country
code: |
.nu |
| Internet hosts: |
|
| Internet users: |
NA |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 234 km
paved: 86 km
unpaved: 148 km (2001) |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
none; offshore anchorage only |
| Merchant marine: |
|
| Airports: |
1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
|
| Heliports: |
|
