Niue (2004) | French Guiana (2006) | |
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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 at the second order | none (overseas department of France) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 28.9% (male 29,540/female 28,210)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 69,302/female 59,980) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,350/female 6,127) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle | corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 1 (2003 est.) | 11 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2006) |
Area | total: 260 sq km
land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Indiana |
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 about 2,100 in 2004), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest. | First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 20.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
revenues: $135.5 million
expenditures: $135.5 million; including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
Capital | Alofi | name: Cayenne
geographic coordinates: 4 56 N, 52 20 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds | tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 64 km | 378 km |
Constitution | 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island |
conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane |
Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $418,000 (2002 est.) | $800.3 million (2003) |
Dependency status | 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 | overseas department of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) | none (overseas department of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) | none (overseas department of France) |
Disputes - international | none | Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa) in French Guiana |
Economic aid - recipient | $2.6 million from New Zealand (2002) | $NA |
Economy - overview | 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 migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although Premier LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that Niue will shut down the offshore banking industry. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about $2.6 million. | The economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.79 million kWh (2001) | 432.6 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 3 million kWh (2001) | 465.2 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 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) | black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% |
Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.1620 (2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999) | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) |
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 NA May 2005) election results: Young VIVIAN elected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN (NPP) 70%, Hunukitama HUNUKI (AI) 30% |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre LAFLAQUIERE (since 19 July 2006)
head of government: President of the General Council Pierre DESERT (since 26 March 2004); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts | shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing |
Exports - partners | New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2000) | France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2004) |
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 | the flag of France is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $7.6 million (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: 55% |
agriculture: NA% 6.6%
industry: NA% 15.6% services: NA% 77.8% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | -0.3% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 19 02 S, 169 52 W | 4 00 N, 53 00 W |
Geography - note | one of world's largest coral islands | mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent |
Highways | total: 234 km
paved: 86 km unpaved: 148 km (2001) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs | food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals |
Imports - partners | New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2000) | France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2004) |
Independence | on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand | none (overseas department of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | tourism, handicrafts, food processing | construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA (2004 est.) |
total: 11.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1% (1995) | 1% (2003) |
International organization participation | ACP, FAO, PIF, Sparteca, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO | UPU, WCL, WFTU |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 20 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue | Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana) |
Labor force | NA (1998 est.) | 62,630 (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board | agriculture: 18.2%
industry: 21.2% services: 60.6% (1980) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,240.4 km
border countries: Brazil 730.4 km, Suriname 510 km |
Land use | arable land: 15.38%
permanent crops: 11.54% other: 73.08% (2001) |
arable land: 0.13%
permanent crops: 0.04% other: 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other) (2005) |
Languages | Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English | French |
Legal system | English common law
note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws |
French legal system |
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 NA March 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPP 9, independents 11; note - all 20 seats were reelected |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held in March 2000 (next to be held March 2006); Regional Council - last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2010) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7, other 2; Regional Council - (second election results) percent of vote by party - PS 37.24%, UMP 31.58%, FDG/Walwari 31.18%; seats by party - PS 17, UMP 7, FDG/Walwari 7 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, Walwari Committee 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.) |
total population: 77.27 years
male: 73.95 years female: 80.75 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 95% male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.) |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname |
Map references | Oceania | South America |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA |
National holiday | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean |
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese |
Natural hazards | typhoons | high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding |
Natural resources | fish, arable land | bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 4.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]; Alliance of Independents or AI [leader NA] | Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Popular National Guyanese Party or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Alix LABBE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Georges HABRAN-MERY]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (includes RPR) [Remi Louis DUBOC]; Walwari Committee (aligned with the PRG in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 2,156 (July 2004 est.) | 199,509 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.01% (2004 est.) | 1.96% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5 repeaters) (1998) |
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 |
Sex ratio | NA (2004 est.) | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
international: country code - 683 |
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,100 est (2002) | 51,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 400 (2002) | 98,000 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau | low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman (2004 est.) | 2.98 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA (March 1999) | 19.2% (December 2003) |
Waterways | - | 3,760 km
note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2003) |