Niue

Where is Niue?

Located in Oceania, Niue is an island nation. It has a 64.00 km coastline.

The capital city of Niue is Alofi which is located on the western side of the island, close to the Niue International Airport. Alofi Bay accounts for approximately 30% of the island's coastline. The city consists of two villages, Alofi North and Alofi South. The population of Alofi is less than 1,000 people which makes the city the second-smallest national capital in the world. Many who live in Alofi are either Niuean or part-Niuean with small minorities from Tonga, Samoa, and other Pacific Island nations residing in the city. The majority of the population speaks Niuean, Niuean-English, or New Zealand English. Alofi covers just 46.48 square kilometres (17.95 square miles) and has a population density of 12.5 people per square kilometre. The climate of Alofi is classified as a tropical rainforest environment. The average temperature in the city during the hottest month of February is 27 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit). The average temperature during the cooler months of July and August is 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit). An island nation such as Niue provides an excellent location for many sea-based activities such as boating, diving, and fishing, not to mention whale and dolphin watching.

Niue is an Oceanian country covering 260.00 km². and 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC. Its geographic coordinates are 19 02 S, 169 52 W and Alofi is the capital city.

The origin of the name Niue is obscure, but is said to translate to mean "behold the coconut".

Its ISO code is NU.

Geography

Niue has a mean elevation of 0 m above sea level.

It has a tropical climate that is modified by southeast trade winds. Its terrain mostly consists of steep limestone cliffs along the coast and in the central plateau.

Population

Niue has a population of 1,190 making it the 234th largest in the world.

Niuean is the official language, while English is also widely spoken. The major ethnic groups are Niuen, part-Niuen, and non-Niuen. The majority of the country belongs to a religion called Ekalesia Niue.

Niue is a bilingual nation with English and Niuean as the country's official languages. Niuean descended from the Austronesian family of languages and is now considered a Polynesian language, specifically from the Malay-Polynesian family. The Niuean language is closely related to Tongan, another Polynesian dialect, and is also related (albeit less closely) to Hawaiian, Maori, and Samoan. 46% of the population of Niue speaks the language and an additional 32% of the population combine English with Niuean on a daily basis. The language is also spoken in the Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Tonga. Niuean is one of the few languages that have more speakers outside the country of origin that in the nation in which it originated. For example, in the early 1990s, approximately 70% of Niuean speakers lived in New Zealand. Today, there are around 8,000 speakers of the language and almost 6,000 live outside of Niue. Minority languages in the country include other Polynesian dialects such as Samoan and Tongan, both of which have heavily influenced Niuean. English, although an official language, is spoken by around 11% of the population as most inhabitants will combine Niuean with local English in order to communicate. Colloquial phrases that are common in New Zealand and Australia can also be understood by the majority of locals due to the influence these neighbouring countries have in the media and popular culture of Niue.

The dialing code for the country is 683.

Government

It has been a self-governing government in free association with New Zealand since 1974. Its constitution was last ratified in 1974.

The political system of Niue can be classified as a parliamentary representative democracy that is also a dependency (of New Zealand). The head of the government is the Chief Minister of Niue. New Zealand holds some of the responsibility for the external affairs of Niue but this is in consultation with the Niuean government. The 1974 Niue Constitution Act became law in October of the same year and provides the current framework for political activity in the country. This law ensures the constitution is the supreme law of the nation, that Niueans are also citizens of New Zealand, that her Majesty (in right of New Zealand) be responsible for the defence and external political affairs of the country, and that the New Zealand government is to provide administrative and economic support to Niue. The Niue Assembly is the national legislature of the country and members are elected to serve three-year terms. This parliamentary house is located in the capital city of Alofa in the Western part of the country.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Niue's GDP is $10,010,000.00 (USD) with $5,800.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 226th largest economy and its citizens the 158th richest in the world. The currency of Niue is the Dollar (NZD).

Its major export partners are Germany, Belgum, and the United Kingdom. Its main exports are canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, and passion fruit products. Its major import partners are Germany, Belgium, and China. Its major imports include food, live animals, and manufactured goods.

Flag

The flag of Niue consists of a yellow field with the Union Jack in the top left-hand corner. This Union Jack contains a yellow five-pointed star in the middle, encircled in blue, with four additional yellow stars forming a diamond around the central star. This flag was given official status on 15 October 1975 and the specific design is stated in the 1975 Niue Flag Act. Many have seen the design as somewhat of a tribute to the flag of New Zealand while maintaining a distinctly Niuean flavour. The Union Jack is a nod to the former colonial past of the country, although this Union Jack design is unique to Niue. The yellow colouring of the flag is symbolic of the sunshine in the country as well as signifying warm relations with New Zealand. The central star in the Union Jack on this flag is said to represent Niuean independence. The blue circle surrounding this star is a symbol of the ocean surrounding the nation. The four outer stars symbolise the Southern Cross constellation which is a common theme on Oceanic flags.