Niue (2008) | Norway (2003) | |
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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 | 19 provinces (fylker, singular - fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
0-14 years: 19.9% (male 465,320; female 439,095)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 1,501,608; female 1,462,590) 65 years and over: 14.9% (male 281,554; female 395,956) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle | barley, wheat, potatoes; pork, beef, veal, milk; fish |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 102 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 66
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 26 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 36
914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 29 (2002) |
Area | total: 260 sq km
land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 324,220 sq km
land: 307,860 sq km water: 16,360 sq km |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than New Mexico |
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 an estimated 1,492 in 2007), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest. | Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that was to last for more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Norway remained neutral in World War I and proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II. Nevertheless, it was not able to avoid a five-year occupation by Nazi Germany (1940-1945). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. The current focus is on containing spending on the extensive welfare system and planning for the time when petroleum reserves are depleted. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. |
Birth rate | NA | 12.17 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $15.07 million
expenditures: $16.33 million (FY0405) |
revenues: $71.7 billion
expenditures: $57.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | name: Alofi
geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Oslo |
Climate | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds | temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast |
Coastline | 64 km | 21,925 km (includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413 km, long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 16,093 km) |
Constitution | 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) | 17 May 1814, modified in 1884 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Niue note: pronounciation falls between nyu-way and new-way, but not like new-wee former: Savage Island |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Norway
conventional short form: Norway local long form: Kongeriket Norge local short form: Norge |
Currency | - | Norwegian krone (NOK) |
Death rate | NA | 9.72 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $418,000 (2002 est.) | $0 (Norway is a net external creditor) |
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 | - |
Dependent areas | - | Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) | chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ONG
embassy: Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo mailing address: PSC 69, Box 1000, APO AE 09707 telephone: [47] (22) 44 85 50 FAX: [47] (22) 44 33 63 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) | chief of mission: Ambassador Knut VOLLEBAEK
chancery: 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6000 FAX: [1] (202) 337-0870 consulate(s) general: Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco |
Disputes - international | none | Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf); despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway continue to dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $1.4 billion (1998) |
Economic aid - recipient | $2.6 million from New Zealand (2002) | - |
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 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. | The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas, such as the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state enterprises). The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on its oil production and international oil prices; in 1999, oil and gas accounted for 35% of exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia export more oil than Norway. Norway opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994. The government has moved ahead with privatization. With arguably the highest quality of life worldwide, Norwegians still worry about that time in the next two decades when the oil and gas begin to run out. Accordingly, Norway has been saving its oil-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund, which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $43 billion. GDP growth was a lackluster 1% in 2002 and 2003 against the background of a faltering European economy. |
Electricity - consumption | 2.79 million kWh (2005) | 115.3 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 7.162 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 10.76 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 3 million kWh (2005) | 120.1 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0.4%
hydro: 99.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0.4% (2001) |
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: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m |
Environment - current issues | increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture | water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census) | Norwegian, Sami 20,000 |
Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003) | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.98 (2002), 8.99 (2001), 8.8 (2000), 7.8 (1999), 7.55 (1998) |
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 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 in May 2008) election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN 15% |
chief of state: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991); Heir Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS, son of the monarch (born 20 July 1973)
head of government: Prime Minister Kjell Magne BONDEVIK (since 19 October 2001) cabinet: State Council appointed by the monarch with the approval of Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch with the approval of the Parliament |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | 3.466 million bbl/day (2001) |
Exports - commodities | canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts | petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish |
Exports - partners | New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2006) | UK 18.1%, Germany 13.8%, France 11%, US 9.2%, Netherlands 8.2%, Sweden 8% (2002) |
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 | red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $149.1 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 23.5%
industry: 26.9% services: 49.5% (2003) |
agriculture: 1.9%
industry: 30.8% services: 67.3% (2000) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $33,000 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 6.2% (2003 est.) | 1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 19 02 S, 169 52 W | 62 00 N, 10 00 E |
Geography - note | one of world's largest coral islands | about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world |
Highways | - | total: 91,454 km
paved: 69,505 km (including 143 km of expressways) unpaved: 21,949 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 21.8% (1995) |
Imports | 20.38 bbl/day (2004) | 88,870 bbl/day (2001) |
Imports - commodities | food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs | machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | New Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2006) | Sweden 17.7%, Germany 13.4%, UK 7.8%, Denmark 7.7%, US 5.7%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.2%, Italy 4% (2002) |
Independence | on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand | 7 June 1905 Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved; 26 October 1905 Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 1.2% (2002 est.) |
Industries | tourism, handicrafts, food processing | petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 3.87 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (2005) | 1.3% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 13 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | 1,270 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue | Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (justices appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | 663 (2001) | 2.4 million (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board | services 74%, industry 22%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 4% (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,544 km
border countries: Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, Russia 196 km |
Land use | arable land: 11.54%
permanent crops: 15.38% other: 73.08% (2005) |
arable land: 2.94%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.06% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English | Norwegian (official)
note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
Legal system | English common law; note - Niue is self-governing, with the power to make its own laws | mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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 30 April 2005 (next to be held in April 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA |
modified unicameral Parliament or Storting (165 seats; members are elected by popular vote by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 24.3%, Conservative Party 21.2%, Progress Party 14.6%, Socialist Left Party 12.5%, Christian People's Party 12.4%, Center Party 5.6%, Liberal Party 3.9%, Coastal Party 1.7%, other 3.8%; seats by party - Labor Party 43, Conservative Party 38, Progress Party 26, Socialist Left Party 23, Christian People's Party 22, Center Party 10, Liberal Party 2, Coastal Party 1 note: for certain purposes, the Parliament divides itself into two chambers and elects one-fourth of its membership to an upper house or Lagting |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 79.09 years
male: 76.15 years female: 82.22 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 95% male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga | Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
contiguous zone: 10 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 4 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 714 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,247,207 GRT/30,860,236 DWT
ships by type: bulk 68, cargo 136, chemical tanker 125, combination bulk 5, combination ore/oil 32, container 19, liquefied gas 86, multi-function large load carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 127, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 44, short-sea passenger 20, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 34 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Denmark 14, Germany 11, Greece 10, Hong Kong 7, Iceland 2, Japan 11, Lithuania 1, Monaco 42, Poland 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 10, Sweden 42, Switzerland 2, UK 4, US 5 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand | - |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force | Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy (including Coast Artillery and Coast Guard), Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home Guard |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $3.113 billion (FY98/99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2.13% (2002) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 1,099,314 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 910,628 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 20 years of age (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 27,249 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) | Constitution Day, 17 May (1814); note - on 14 January 1814 Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden; resisting Swedish domination, Norwegians adopted a new constitution four months later; on 14 August 1814 Norway was proclaimed independent but in union with Sweden; on 7 June 1905 Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved |
Nationality | noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean |
noun: Norwegian(s)
adjective: Norwegian |
Natural hazards | typhoons | rockslides, avalanches |
Natural resources | fish, arable land | petroleum, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower |
Net migration rate | NA | 2.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Pipelines | - | condensate 411 km; gas 6,199 km; oil 2,213 km; oil/gas/water 746 km; unknown (oil/water) 38 km; water 96 km (2003) |
Political parties and leaders | Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN] | Center Party [Aslaug Marie HAGA]; Christian People's Party [Valgerd Svarstad HAUGLAND]; Coastal Party [Steinar BASTESEN]; Conservative Party [Jan PETERSEN]; Labor Party [Jens STOLTENBERG]; Liberal Party [Lars SPONHEIM]; Progress Party [Carl I. HAGEN]; Socialist Left Party [Kristin HALVORSEN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 1,492
note: based on data for 2000 and 2001, which indicate a declining population trend that is assumed to continue (July 2007 est.) |
4,546,123 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.032% (2007 est.) | 0.46% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Bergen, Drammen, Floro, Hammerfest, Harstad, Haugesund, Kristiansand, Larvik, Narvik, Oslo, Porsgrunn, Stavanger, Tromso, Trondheim |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 5, FM at least 650, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 4,178 km
standard gauge: 4,178 km 1.435-m gauge (2,518 km electrified) (2002) |
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) | Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church), other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, other 1%, none and unknown 10% (1997) |
Sex ratio | NA | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 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 (2001) |
general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most advanced telecommunications networks in Europe
domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, the prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobile systems instead of fixed-wire systems international: 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,100 (2002 est.) | 2.735 million (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 400 (2002) | 2,080,408 (1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 360 (plus 2,729 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau | glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north |
Total fertility rate | NA | 1.8 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 12% (2001) | 3.9% (2002 est.) |
Waterways | - | 1,577 km (along west coast)
note: navigable by 2.4 m maximum draft vessels |