Tokelau (2001) | Spratly Islands (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (territory of New Zealand) | - |
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 | 4 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Area | total:
10 sq km land: 10 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
less than 5 sq km land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
Area - comparative | about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | NA |
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. | Rich fishing grounds and the potential for gas and oil deposits have caused this archipelago to be claimed in its entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties have occupied certain islands or reefs, and occasional clashes have occurred between Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces |
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) | tropical |
Coastline | 101 km | 926 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:
none conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
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 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of New Zealand) | - |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of New Zealand) | - |
Disputes - international | none | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island; in 2000, China joined ASEAN discussions towards creating a South China Sea "code of conduct" - a non-legally binding confidence building measure |
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 commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. |
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:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 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 | - |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.5 million (1993 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1993 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 9 00 S, 172 00 W | 8 38 N, 111 55 E |
Geography - note | - | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs |
Highways | total:
NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
- |
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 (1993) |
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% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% |
Languages | Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English | - |
Legal system | British and local statutes | - |
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 |
- |
Location | Oceania, group of three islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
NA |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam |
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 | typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals |
Natural resources | NEGL | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential |
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
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2001 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 | flat |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | - |
Unemployment rate | NA% | - |
Waterways | none | none |