Tokelau (2004) | Aruba (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (territory of New Zealand) | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53% 65 years and over: 5% (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 21% (male 7,635; female 7,169)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 23,270; female 24,906) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 3,081; female 4,380) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats | aloes; livestock; fish |
Airports | none; lagoon landings are possible by amphibious aircraft (2003 est.) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 10 sq km
land: 10 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly larger than Washington, DC |
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. | Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 12.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million, including capital expenditures of $37,300 (1987 est.) |
revenues: $135.81 million
expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
Capital | none; each atoll has its own administrative center | Oranjestad |
Climate | tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November) | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 101 km | 68.5 km |
Constitution | administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970 | 1 January 1986 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) | Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $0 | $285 million (1996) |
Dependency status | self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelauans are drafting a constitution and developing institutions and patterns of self-government as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand | part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of New Zealand) | chief of mission: Consul General Deborah A. BOLTON
embassy: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of New Zealand) | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | from New Zealand about $4 million annually | $26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996 |
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 rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public services, with 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. | Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. The government's goal of balancing the budget within two years will hamper expenditures, as will the decline in stopover tourist arrivals following the 11 September terrorist attacks. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 418.5 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 450 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
Environment - current issues | very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand | NA |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% |
Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.154 (2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999) | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by Administrator Neil WALTER (since NA 2002)
head of government: Aliki Faipule Kuresa NASAU (since 2004) note - position rotates annually among members of the cabinet 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 |
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001); deputy prime minister NA cabinet: Council of Ministers (elected by the Staten) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by December 2005) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
Exports | $98,000 f.o.b. (1983) | $2.58 billion f.o.b. (including oil reexports) (2000) |
Exports - commodities | stamps, copra, handicrafts | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment |
Exports - partners | New Zealand (2000) | US 42%, Colombia 20%, Netherlands 12% (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of New Zealand is used | blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.5 million (1993 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1993 est.) | purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | 2.5% (2000) |
Geographic coordinates | 9 00 S, 172 00 W | 12 30 N, 69 58 W |
Geography - note | consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three meters above sea level | a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 800 km
paved: 513 km unpaved: 287 km note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior (1995) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity |
Imports | $323,000 c.i.f. (1983) | $2.61 billion f.o.b. (2000) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, building materials, fuel | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | New Zealand (2000) | US 63%, Netherlands 11%, Netherlands Antilles 3%, Japan (1999) |
Independence | none (territory of New Zealand) | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA | 4% (2000) |
International organization participation | UNESCO (associate), UPU | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau | Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | NA | 41,501 |
Labor force - by occupation | - | most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish |
Legal system | New Zealand and local statutes | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence |
Legislative branch | unicameral General Fono (48 seats; 15 members from each of the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms and the 3 island village mayors [pulenuku]); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the General Fono | unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%, PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP 12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: 68 years female: 70 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 78.67 years
male: 75.32 years female: 82.19 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: NA
total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none | note: there is one foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Monaco 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Dutch Navy and Marines, Coast Guard |
National holiday | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) | Flag Day, 18 March |
Nationality | noun: Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan |
noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
Natural hazards | lies in Pacific typhoon belt | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt |
Natural resources | NEGL | NEGL; white sandy beaches |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Alliance or Aliansa [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Jan (Henny) H. EMAN]; Concentration for the Liberation of Aruba or CLA [leader NA]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [Urbana LOPEZ]; National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 1,405 (July 2004 est.) | 70,441 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.01% (2004 est.) | 0.59% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas |
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) |
AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 50,000 (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 |
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
Sex ratio | NA | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations, established in 1997 |
general assessment: NA
domestic: more than adequate international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links |
Telephones - main lines in use | 300 (2002) | 33,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (2001) | 3,402 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 1.8 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 0.6% |
Waterways | - | none |