Niue (2001) | Jan Mayen (2002) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages each with its own village council whose members are elected and serve three-year terms | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
- |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle | - |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total:
260 sq km land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 373 sq km
land: 373 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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 2,100 in 2000) with substantial emigration to New Zealand. | This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the northernmost active volcano on earth. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | - |
Budget | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
- |
Capital | Alofi | - |
Climate | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds | arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog |
Coastline | 64 km | 124.1 km |
Constitution | 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) | - |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen |
Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs | territory of Norway; administered from Oslo through a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard); however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) | - |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $8.3 million (1995) | - |
Economy - overview | 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 migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry. | Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.8 million kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - production | 3 million kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m |
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m |
Environment - current issues | increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
- |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans) | - |
Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.2502 (January 2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5082 (1997), 1.4543 (1996) | - |
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 Sani LAKATANI (since 1 April 1999) 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 19 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2002) election results: Sani LAKATANI elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - NA% |
- |
Exports | $117,500 (f.o.b., 1989) | - |
Exports - commodities | canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts | - |
Exports - partners | NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia | - |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | - |
Flag description | 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 | the flag of Norway is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $4.5 million (1997 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,800 (1997 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 19 02 S, 169 52 W | 71 00 N, 8 00 W |
Geography - note | one of world's largest coral islands | barren volcanic island with some moss and grass |
Highways | total:
234 km paved: 86 km unpaved: 148 km (106 km of which is access and plantation road) (2001) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Imports | $4.1 million (c.i.f., 1989) | - |
Imports - commodities | food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs | - |
Imports - partners | NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Samoa, Australia, US | - |
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 | NA deaths/1,000 live births | - |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (1995) | - |
International organization participation | ACP, ESCAP (associate), FAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO, WMO | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 13 (Jan Mayen and Svalbard) (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue | - |
Labor force | 450 (1992 est.) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | 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:
19% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 19% other: 50% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English | - |
Legal system | English common law | the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply |
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 19 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11 |
- |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
- |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: 95% male: NA% female: NA% |
- |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland |
Map references | Oceania | Arctic Region |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
contiguous zone: 10 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 4 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand | defense is the responsibility of Norway |
Military branches | 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 | typhoons | dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970 |
Natural resources | fish, arable land | none |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | - |
Political parties and leaders | Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Sani LAKATANI] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 2,124 (July 2001 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0.5% (2001 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998) |
Radios | 1,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
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) | - |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment:
primitive system domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: NA |
- |
Telephones - main lines in use | 376 (1991) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1991) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | - |
Terrain | steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau | volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | - |
Unemployment rate | NA% | - |
Waterways | none | none |