Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2002) | Niue (2006) | |
Administrative 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 |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle |
Airports | - | 1 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: 5 sq km
land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island |
total: 260 sq km
land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983 it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve. | 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 about 2,166 in 2006), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest. |
Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | - | revenues: $15.07 million
expenditures: $16.33 million; including capital expenditures of $123,700 |
Capital | - | name: Alofi
geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds |
Coastline | 74.1 km | 64 km |
Constitution | - | 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | - | $418,000 (2002 est.) |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | 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 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) |
Disputes - international | - | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $2.6 million from New Zealand (2002) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that 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 emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about US$2 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 2.79 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | - | 3 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 3 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | - | Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census) |
Exchange rates | - | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); 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 12 May 2005 (next to be held May 2008) election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 15% |
Exports | - | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | - | canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts |
Exports - partners | - | New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2004) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 23.5%
industry: 26.9% services: 49.5% (2003) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 6.2% |
Geographic coordinates | 12 14 S, 123 05 E | 19 02 S, 169 52 W |
Geography - note | Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 | one of world's largest coral islands |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | - | food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs |
Imports - partners | - | New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2004) |
Independence | - | on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism, handicrafts, food processing |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 4% (2005) |
International organization participation | - | ACP, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue |
Labor force | - | NA 663 |
Labor force - by occupation | - | note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 11.54%
permanent crops: 15.38% other: 73.08% (2005) |
Languages | - | Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English |
Legal system | the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply | English common law; note - Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; 6 elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives)
elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be held April 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | - | definition: NA
total population: 95% male: NA female: NA |
Location | Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Oceania |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force |
National holiday | - | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
Nationality | - | noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean |
Natural hazards | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards | typhoons |
Natural resources | fish | fish, arable land |
Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
People - note | the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem | - |
Political parties and leaders | - | Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh waster at Ashmore Reef's West Island |
2,166 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 0.01% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | - | Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints 8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | - | NA |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
international: country code - 683 |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 1,100 est (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 400 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | low with sand and coral | steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau |
Total fertility rate | - | NA |
Unemployment rate | - | 12% NA% |
Waterways | none | - |