NIUE (free association with New Zealand) 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: Exclusive 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: arable land 61%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 19%; other 12% Environment: subject to typhoons Note: one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga PEOPLE Population: 1,908 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.1% (1991) Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1991) Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Niuean(s); adjective--Niuean Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans Religion: Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)--a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5% Language: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but compulsory education age 5 to 14 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; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs Capital: Alofi Administrative divisions: none Independence: became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand on 19 October 1974 Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) 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 Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN Elections: Legislative Assembly--last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held March 1993); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, NIP 1 Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, 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 public employees. 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, 1,490 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: tourist, handicrafts Agriculture: copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops--taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $62 million Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (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 Branches: Police Force Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand