Niue (2001) | Seychelles (2001) | |
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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 | 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
0-14 years:
28.27% (male 11,367; female 11,167) 15-64 years: 65.47% (male 25,453; female 26,737) 65 years and over: 6.26% (male 1,673; female 3,318) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle | coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 14 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total:
6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
8 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
Area | total:
260 sq km land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
455 sq km land: 455 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | 2.5 times 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. | A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 17.66 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
revenues:
$249 million expenditures: $262 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | Alofi | Victoria |
Climate | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds | tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May) |
Coastline | 64 km | 491 km |
Constitution | 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) | 18 June 1993 |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island |
conventional long form:
Republic of Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles |
Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) | Seychelles rupee (SCR) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $240 million (1999 est.) |
Dependency status | self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) | the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Claude Sylvestre MOREL chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786 |
Disputes - international | none | claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory) |
Economic aid - recipient | $8.3 million (1995) | $16.4 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. | Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. The vulnerability of the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf war. Although the industry has rebounded, the government recognizes the continuing need for upgrading the sector in the face of stiff international competition. Other issues facing the government are the curbing of the budget deficit and further privatization of public enterprises. Growth slowed in 1998-2000, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have hindered short-term economic prospects. The black market value of the Seychelles ruppee is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency the tourist sector should remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.8 million kWh (1999) | 148.8 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 3 million kWh (1999) | 160 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
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:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m |
Environment - current issues | increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture | water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans) | Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans) |
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) | Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 6.0397 (November 2000), 5.6009 (2000), 5,3426 (1999), 5.2622 (1998), 5.0263 (1997), 4.9700 (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% |
chief of state:
President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003) election results: France Albert RENE reelected president; percent of vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 66.7%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 19.5%, Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 13.8% |
Exports | $117,500 (f.o.b., 1989) | $111 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Exports - commodities | canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts | fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports) |
Exports - partners | NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia | France, UK, Netherlands, Italy, China, Germany, Japan |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
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 | five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $4.5 million (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $610 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture:
3.1% industry: 26.3% services: 70.6% (1999) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,800 (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 1.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 19 02 S, 169 52 W | 4 35 S, 55 40 E |
Geography - note | one of world's largest coral islands | 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands |
Highways | total:
234 km paved: 86 km unpaved: 148 km (106 km of which is access and plantation road) (2001) |
total:
373 km paved: 315 km unpaved: 58 km (1997) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $4.1 million (c.i.f., 1989) | $440 million (c.i.f., 1999) |
Imports - commodities | food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
Imports - partners | NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Samoa, Australia, US | South Africa, UK, China, Singapore, France, Italy |
Independence | on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand | 29 June 1976 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, handicrafts, food processing | fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages |
Infant mortality rate | NA deaths/1,000 live births | 17.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (1995) | 6% (1999 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, ESCAP (associate), FAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO, WMO | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue | Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president |
Labor force | 450 (1992 est.) | 30,900 (1996) |
Labor force - by occupation | most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board | industry 19%, services 71%, agriculture 10% (1989) |
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:
2% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 11% other: 74% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English | English (official), French (official), Creole |
Legal system | English common law | based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law |
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 |
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least ten percent of the vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 61.7%, UO 26.1%, DP 12.1%; seats by party - SPPF 30, UO 3, DP 1 note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share of each party in the total vote |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
total population:
70.69 years male: 65.17 years female: 76.37 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: 95% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60% (1971 est.) |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga | Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar |
Map references | Oceania | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,353 GRT/7,638 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand | - |
Military branches | Police Force | Army, Coast Guard, air wing, National Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $13 million (FY93) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2.8% (FY93) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
22,951 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
11,452 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) | Constitution Day, 18 June (1993) |
Nationality | noun:
Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean |
noun:
Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychelles |
Natural hazards | typhoons | lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible |
Natural resources | fish, arable land | fish, copra, cinnamon trees |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | -6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Sani LAKATANI] | Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM]; Seychelles National Party or SNP (formerly the United Opposition or UO) [Wavel RAMKALAWAN]; Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE] - the governing party |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Roman Catholic Church; trade unions |
Population | 2,124 (July 2001 est.) | 79,715 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.5% (2001 est.) | 0.49% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | Victoria |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 2 (1998) |
Radios | 1,000 (1997) | 42,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | 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) | Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 17 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
primitive system domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island international: NA |
general assessment:
effective system domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 376 (1991) | 19,635 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1991) | 16,316 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau | Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 1.83 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | NA% |
Waterways | none | none |