Tromelin Island (2006) | Tokelau (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (territory of New Zealand) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53% 65 years and over: 5% (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats |
Airports | 1 (2006) | none; lagoon landings are possible by amphibious aircraft (2003 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
- |
Area | total: 1 sq km
land: 1 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 10 sq km
land: 10 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | - | revenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million, including capital expenditures of $37,300 (1987 est.) |
Capital | - | none; each atoll has its own administrative center |
Climate | tropical | tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November) |
Coastline | 3.7 km | 101 km |
Constitution | - | administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tromelin Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Tromelin |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau |
Currency | - | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
Death rate | - | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | - | $0 |
Dependency status | possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands | 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 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (territory of New Zealand) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (territory of New Zealand) |
Disputes - international | claimed by Mauritius | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | from New Zealand about $4 million annually |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand |
Ethnic groups | - | Polynesian |
Exchange rates | - | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.154 (2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999) |
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 |
Exports | - | $98,000 f.o.b. (1983) |
Exports - commodities | - | stamps, copra, handicrafts |
Exports - partners | - | New Zealand (2000) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | 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 | 15 52 S, 54 25 E | 9 00 S, 172 00 W |
Geography - note | climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises) | 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 |
Highways | - | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | - | $323,000 c.i.f. (1983) |
Imports - commodities | - | foodstuffs, building materials, fuel |
Imports - partners | - | New Zealand (2000) |
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 | - | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA |
International organization participation | - | UNESCO (associate), UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | NA sq km |
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%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (grasses; scattered bushes) (2005) |
arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
Languages | - | Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | New Zealand and local statutes |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: NA years
male: 68 years female: 70 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | - | NA |
Location | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar | Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Africa | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | none |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand |
National holiday | - | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
Nationality | - | noun: Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan |
Natural hazards | NA | lies in Pacific typhoon belt |
Natural resources | fish | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | - | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | none |
Population | uninhabited, except for visits by scientists (July 2006 est.) | 1,405 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA |
Population growth rate | - | -0.01% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | 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) |
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 |
Sex ratio | - | NA |
Suffrage | - | 21 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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 300 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 0 (2001) |
Terrain | low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic | low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons |
Total fertility rate | - | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | - | NA |