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Background:
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Niue's
remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic
differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those
of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be
separately administered. The population of the island
continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to about
2,150 in 2005), with substantial emigration to New
Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest. |
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Location:
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Oceania,
island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga |
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Geographic coordinates:
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19 02 S,
169 52 W |
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Map references:
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Oceania
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Area:
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total:
260 sq km
land: 260 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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1.5 times
the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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64 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical;
modified by southeast trade winds |
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Terrain:
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steep
limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau
settlement 68 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish,
arable land |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 15.38%
permanent crops: 11.54%
other: 73.08% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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Natural hazards:
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typhoons
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Environment - current issues:
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increasing attention to conservationist practices to
counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash
and burn agriculture |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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one of
world's largest coral islands |
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Population:
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2,166
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA |
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Population growth rate:
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0% (2005
est.) |
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Birth rate:
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NA
births/1,000 population |
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Death rate:
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NA
deaths/1,000 population |
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Net migration rate:
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NA
migrant(s)/1,000 population |
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Sex ratio:
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NA |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
NA
male: NA
female: NA |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: NA
male: NA
female: NA |
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Total fertility rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean |
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Ethnic groups:
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Niuen
78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed
3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census) |
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Religions:
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Ekalesia
Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely
related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%,
Latter-Day Saints 8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%,
unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9% (2001 census) |
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Languages:
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Niuean, a
Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and
Samoan; English |
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: 95%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Niue
former: Savage Island |
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Dependency status:
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self-governing in free association with New Zealand
since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs;
New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs
and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no
rights of control and are only exercised at the request
of the Government of Niue |
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Government type:
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self-governing parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Alofi
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Administrative divisions:
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none;
note - there are no first-order administrative divisions
as defined by the US Government, but there are 14
villages at the second order |
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Independence:
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on 19
October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary
government in free association with New Zealand |
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National holiday:
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Waitangi
Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty
over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
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Constitution:
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19
October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) |
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Legal system:
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English
common law
note: Niue is self-governing, with the power to
make its own laws |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New
Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since NA May 2000)
head of government: Premier Young VIVIAN (since 1
May 2002)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and
three ministers
elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier
elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year
term; election last held 12 May 2005 (next to be held
May 2008)
election results: Young VIVIAN reelected premier;
percent of Legislative Assembly vote - Young VIVIAN
(NPP) 85%, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 15% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six
elected from a common roll and 14 are village
representatives)
elections: last held 30 April 2005 (next to be
held April 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - NA |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Niue
People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]; Alliance of
Independents or AI [leader NA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, FAO,
PIF, Sparteca, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none
(self-governing territory in free association with New
Zealand) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none
(self-governing territory in free association with New
Zealand) |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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The
economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems
of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small
population. Government expenditures regularly exceed
revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically
needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay
wages to public employees. Niue has cut government
expenditures by reducing the public service by almost
half. 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. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion
of tourism and a financial services industry, although
former Premier LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that
Niue will shut down the offshore banking industry.
Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about $2.6
million. Niue suffered a devastating hurricane in
January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs.
While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been
dependent on foreign aid. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$7.6
million (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-0.3%
(2000 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: 55% |
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Labor force:
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NA |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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most work
on family plantations; paid work exists only in
government service, small industry, and the Niue
Development Board |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1% (1995)
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Budget:
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revenues: NA
expenditures: NA |
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Agriculture - products:
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coconuts,
passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava
(tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
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Industries:
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tourism,
handicrafts, food processing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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3 million
kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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2.79
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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20
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$137,200
(1999) |
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Exports - commodities:
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canned
coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit
products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps,
handicrafts |
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Exports - partners:
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New
Zealand mainly, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia (2000)
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Imports:
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$2.38
million (1999) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food,
live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels,
lubricants, chemicals, drugs |
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Imports - partners:
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New
Zealand mainly, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Australia, US (2000)
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Debt - external:
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$418,000
(2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$2.6
million from New Zealand (2002) |
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Currency (code):
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New
Zealand dollar (NZD) |
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Currency code:
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NZD |
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Exchange rates:
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New
Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221
(2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April -
31 March |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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1,100 est
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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400
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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domestic: single-line telephone system connects all
villages on island
international: country code - 683 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios:
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1,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1997)
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Televisions:
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NA |
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Internet country code:
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.nu |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2000)
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Internet users:
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NA |
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Highways:
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total:
234 km
paved: 86 km
unpaved: 148 km (2001) |
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Ports and harbors:
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none;
offshore anchorage only |
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Airports:
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1 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no
regular indigenous military forces; Police Force |
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Military - note:
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defense
is the responsibility of New Zealand |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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