Akrotiri (2006) | Tokelau (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of New Zealand) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53% 65 years and over: 5% |
Agriculture - products | - | coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish |
Area | total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
total: 10 sq km
land: 10 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC | about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. | Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925. |
Birth rate | - | NA |
Budget | - | revenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million (1987 est.) |
Capital | name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
none; each atoll has its own administrative center
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters | tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November) |
Coastline | 56.3 km | 101 km |
Constitution | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 | administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970 |
Country name | conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau |
Death rate | - | NA |
Dependency status | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus | self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on self governance in October 2007 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of New Zealand) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of New Zealand) |
Disputes - international | - | Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olohega) in its 2006 draft constitution |
Economic aid - recipient | - | NA |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. | Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public services with 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | - | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
Environment - current issues | shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base | limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand |
Ethnic groups | - | Polynesian |
Exchange rates | - | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006)
head of government: Kolouei O'BRIEN (2006); note - position rotates annually among the three Faipule (village leaders) cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors), functions as a cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term |
Exports | - | $0 f.o.b. (2002) |
Exports - commodities | - | stamps, copra, handicrafts |
Exports - partners | - | New Zealand (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of the UK is used | the flag of New Zealand is used |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 34 37 N, 32 58 E | 9 00 S, 172 00 W |
Geography - note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus | consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level |
Imports | - | $969,200 c.i.f. (2002) |
Imports - commodities | - | foodstuffs, building materials, fuel |
Imports - partners | - | New Zealand (2006) |
Independence | - | none (territory of New Zealand) |
Industries | - | small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
International organization participation | - | PIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU |
Irrigated land | - | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau |
Labor force | - | 440 (2001) |
Land boundaries | total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | English, Greek | Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | New Zealand and local statutes |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has six seats, Fakaofo has seven seats, Atafu has eight seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the General Fono
elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008) |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | - | NA |
Location | peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus | Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Middle East | Oceania |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand |
National holiday | - | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
Nationality | - | noun: Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan |
Natural hazards | - | lies in Pacific typhoon belt |
Natural resources | - | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | NA |
Political parties and leaders | - | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
1,449 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | -0.018% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | FM 1
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) |
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (one radio station provides service to all islands) (2002) |
Religions | - | Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant |
Sex ratio | - | NA |
Suffrage | - | 21 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 300 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) | - |
Terrain | - | low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons |
Total fertility rate | - | NA |
Unemployment rate | - | NA% |