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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Oceania,
group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
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Geographic coordinates:
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9 00 S,
172 00 W |
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Map references:
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Oceania
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Area:
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total:
10 sq km
land: 10 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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about 17
times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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101 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;
moderated by trade winds (April to November) |
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Terrain:
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low-lying
coral atolls enclosing large lagoons |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
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Natural resources:
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NEGL |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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lies in
Pacific typhoon belt |
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Environment - current issues:
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very
limited natural resources and overcrowding are
contributing to emigration to New Zealand |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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1,405
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 42%
15-64 years: 53%
65 years and over: 5% (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.01%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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NA |
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Death rate:
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NA |
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Net migration rate:
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NA |
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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: -9 years
female: -9 years (2005 est.) |
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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:
Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Polynesian |
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Religions:
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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 |
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Languages:
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Tokelauan
(a Polynesian language), English |
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Literacy:
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NA |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau |
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Dependency status:
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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 |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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none;
each atoll has its own administrative center |
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Administrative divisions:
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none
(territory of New Zealand) |
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Independence:
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none
(territory of 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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administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948;
amended in 1970 |
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Legal system:
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New
Zealand and local statutes |
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Suffrage:
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21 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor General of New Zealand
Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001); New Zealand
is represented by Administrator Neil WALTER (since 1
March 2003)
head of government: Pio TUIA (since February
2005); note - position rotates annually among the three
Faipule (village leaders)
cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government
of Tokelau, consisting of three Faipule (village
leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors) 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 |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon
proportional representation from the three islands
elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms;
Nukunonu has 6 seats, Fakaofo has 7 seats, Atafu has 8
seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers
limited legislative power on the General Fono
elections: last held January 2002 (next to be
held January 2005) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal
jurisdiction in Tokelau |
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Political parties and leaders:
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none |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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International organization participation:
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UNESCO
(associate), UPU |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none
(territory of New Zealand) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none
(territory of New Zealand) |
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Flag description:
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the flag
of New Zealand is used |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$1.5
million (1993 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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NA |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1993 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
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Labor force:
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NA |
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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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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million, including capital
expenditures of $37,300 (1987 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coconuts,
copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry,
goats |
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Industries:
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small-scale enterprises for copra production,
woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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NA kWh
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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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NA kWh
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Exports:
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$98,000
f.o.b. (1983) |
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Exports - commodities:
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stamps,
copra, handicrafts |
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Exports - partners:
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New
Zealand (2000) |
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Imports:
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$323,000
c.i.f. (1983) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, building materials, fuel |
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Imports - partners:
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New
Zealand (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$0 |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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from New
Zealand about $4 million annually |
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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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300
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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0 (2001)
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: modern satellite-based
communications system;
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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM NA, FM
NA, shortwave NA
note: 1 radio station provides service to all
islands (2002) |
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Radios:
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1,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.tk |
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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:
NA
paved: NA
unpaved: NA |
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Ports and harbors:
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none;
offshore anchorage only |
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Airports:
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none;
lagoon landings are possible by amphibious aircraft
(2004 est.) |
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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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