# The World Factbook (1990)/Niue

pages 232–233
​Niue (free association with New Zealand)
See regional map X
Geography
Total area: 260 km²; land area: 260 km²
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
    Extended economic zone: 200 nm
    Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: 61% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 19% forest and woodland; 12% other
Environment: subject to typhoons
Note: one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga
People
Population: 2,019 (July 1990), growth rate NA (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Niuean(s); adjective—Niuean
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
Religion: 75% Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)—a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, 10% Mormon, 5% Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory between 5 and 14 years of age
Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Organized labor: NA
Government
Long-form name: none
Type: self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand
Capital: Alofi
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Constitution: no formal, written constitution
Legal system: English common law
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Executive branch: British monarch, premier, Cabinet
Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974);
Head of Government—Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October 1974)
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Political parties and leaders: Niue People's Action Party, leader NA
Elections: Legislative Assembly—last held on 28 March 1987 (next to be held NA 1990); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, Niue People's Action Party 1
Member of: ESCAP (associate member), SPF
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Flag: 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
Economy
Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the shortfall made up by grants from New Zealand—the grants are used to pay wages to the 80% or more of the work force employed in public service. ​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 migration of Niueans to New Zealand.
GNP: $2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6% (1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY85 est.)
Exports: $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985); commodities—canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts; partners—NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
Imports: $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985); commodities—food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs; partners—NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,420 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourist, handicrafts
Agriculture: copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops—taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $58 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
Communications
Highways: 123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
Telecommunications: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; 383 telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.); stations—1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand