Tokelau (2001) | French Southern and Antarctic Lands (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (territory of New Zealand) | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
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Agriculture - products | coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats | - |
Airports | none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from Samoa | none (2002) |
Area | total:
10 sq km land: 10 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 7,829 sq km
land: 7,829 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Area - comparative | about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware |
Background | Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925. According to a UN report, these low-lying islands will disappear in the 21st century, if global warming continues to raise sea levels. | The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | - |
Budget | revenues:
$430,830 expenditures: $2.8 million, including capital expenditures of $37,300 (1987 est.) |
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Capital | none; each atoll has its own administrative center | - |
Climate | tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November) | antarctic |
Coastline | 101 km | 1,232 km |
Constitution | administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970 | - |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Tokelau |
conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises |
Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | - |
Debt - external | $0 | - |
Dependency status | territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelauans are drafting a constitution, developing institutions and patterns of self-government as Tokelau moves toward free association with Wellington | overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by Administrateur Superieur Francois GARDE (since 24 May 2000), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of New Zealand) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of New Zealand) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | none | "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US |
Economic aid - recipient | $3.8 million (1995) | - |
Economy - overview | Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people must rely on aid from New Zealand to maintain public services, annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand. | Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m |
Environment - current issues | very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand | NA |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian | - |
Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.2502 (January 2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8632 (1998), 1.5083 (1997), 1.4543 (1996) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by Administrator Lindsay WATT (since NA March 1993) head of government: Aliki Faipule FALIMATEAO (since NA 1997) cabinet: the Council of Faipule, consisting of three elected leaders, one from each atoll; functions as a cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term |
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Exports | $98,000 (f.o.b., 1983) | - |
Exports - commodities | stamps, copra, handicrafts | - |
Exports - partners | NZ | - |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | - |
Flag description | the flag of New Zealand is used | the flag of France is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.5 million (1993 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
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GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1993 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 9 00 S, 172 00 W | 43 00 S, 67 00 E |
Geography - note | - | islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean |
Highways | total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | $323,400 (c.i.f., 1983) | - |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, building materials, fuel | - |
Imports - partners | NZ | - |
Independence | none (territory of New Zealand) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing | - |
Infant mortality rate | NA deaths/1,000 live births | - |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | - |
International organization participation | SPC, WHO (associate) | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau | - |
Labor force | NA | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% (soil is thin and infertile) permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English | - |
Legal system | British and local statutes | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral General Fono (45 seats - 15 from each of the three atolls; members chosen by each atoll's Council of Elders or Taupulega to serve three-year terms); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers legislative power on the General Fono | - |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
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Location | Oceania, group of three islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | southeast of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land" |
Map references | Oceania | Antarctic Region |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM from Iles Kerguelen only
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total: 73 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,596,194 GRT/5,924,475 DWT
ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 4, chemical tanker 14, container 15, liquefied gas 5, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 17, roll on/roll off 11, vehicle carrier 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 2, France 62, Japan 3, Monaco 1, Norway 5, Sweden 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) | - |
Nationality | noun:
Tokelauan(s) adjective: Tokelauan |
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Natural hazards | lies in Pacific typhoon belt | Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish, crayfish |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | - |
Political parties and leaders | none | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | - |
Population | 1,445 (July 2001 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants (July 2002 est.)
note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | -0.92% (2001 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: each atoll has a radio broadcast station of unknown type that broadcasts shipping and weather reports (1998) |
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Radios | 1,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant |
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Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment:
adequate domestic: radiotelephone service between islands international: radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations, established in 1997 |
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Telephones - main lines in use | NA | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (2001) | - |
Television broadcast stations | NA | - |
Terrain | low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons | volcanic |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | - |
Unemployment rate | NA% | - |
Waterways | none | none |