Niue

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

19 02 S, 169 52 W

Oceania

260 sq km

260 sq km

0 sq km

1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

0 km

64 km

12 nm

200 nm

Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Unnamed elevation 1.4 km east of Hikutavake 80 m

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Arable land, fish

18.5% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 3.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 10.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 3.8% (2023 est.)

72.6% (2023 est.)

9% (2023 est.)

0 sq km (2022)

Population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

Tropical cyclones

One of world's largest coral islands; the only major break in the surrounding coral reef occurs in the central western part of the coast

1,815 (2024 est.)

877 (2024 est.)

938 (2024 est.)

Niuean(s)

Niuean

Niuean 65.4%, part-Niuean 14%, non-Niuean 20.6% (2017 est.)

Niuean 46% (official, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and others 5%, other 6% (2011 est.)

Ekalesia Niue 61.7%, Latter Day Saints 8.7%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, other 8.2%, not stated 5.1%, none 3.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4% (2017 est.)

64.6 (2024)

38.2 (2024)

26.4 (2024)

3.8 (2024)

-0.03% (2021 est.)

Population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

48.2% of total population (2023)

1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

1,000 ALOFI (capital) (2018)

71.8 years (2016)

75.7 years (2016 est.)

Total: 97% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 3% of population (2022 est.)

7.8% of GDP (2020)

6.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Total: 97.4% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 2.6% of population (2022 est.)

50% (2016)

8.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

4.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

1.89 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

2.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

5.6% national budget (2025 est.)

99.5% (2022 est.)

100% (2022 est.)

100% (2022 est.)

Increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash-and-burn agriculture

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

None of the selected agreements

Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

18.5% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 3.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 10.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture: 3.8% (2023 est.)

72.6% (2023 est.)

9% (2023 est.)

48.2% of total population (2023)

1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

9,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

9,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

6.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

None

Niue

Savage Island

The origin of the name is obscure; in Niuean, the word translates as "behold the coconut;" the former name, Savage Island, was the result of an acrimonious meeting in 1774 between English explorer Captain James COOK and local people

Parliamentary democracy

Self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue is fully responsible for internal affairs; under the Niue Constitution Act of 1974, New Zealand provides necessary economic and administrative assistance to Niue, as well as assistance with foreign affairs, defense, and security if requested

Alofi

19 01 S, 169 55 W

UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

A traditional name for an area of the island; became the name for the newly declared capital in the 20th century

No first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 14 villages are considered second-order

English common law

Several previous (New Zealand colonial statutes); latest 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act 1974)

Proposed by the Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and approval by at least two-thirds majority votes in a referendum; passage of amendments to a number of sections, including Niue’s self-governing status, British nationality and New Zealand citizenship, external affairs and defense, economic and administrative assistance by New Zealand, and amendment procedures, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and at least two thirds of votes in a referendum

18 years of age; universal

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General of New Zealand Cindy KIRO (since 21 October 2021); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner Mark GIBBS (since 5 March 2024)

Prime Minister Dalton TAGELAGI; also referred to as premier (since 10 June 2020)

Cabinet chosen by the prime minister

The monarchy is hereditary; prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly for a 3-year term

8 May 2023

Dalton TAGELAGI reelected prime minister; Legislative Assembly vote - Dalton TAGELAGI (independent) 16, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 4

2026

Niue Assembly (Fono Ekepule)

Unicameral

20

Plurality/majority

Full renewal

3 years

29 April 2023

Independents (20)

15%

April 2026

Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and up to 3 judges)

Niue chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet and tendered by the premier; other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet and tendered by the chief justice and the minister of justice; judges serve until age 68

High Court

None

None (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

None (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

ACP, AOSIS, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

19 October 1974 (Niue became a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand)

Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Description: yellow with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant; the UK flag has five yellow five-pointed stars, with a large star on a blue disk in the center and smaller stars on each arm of the red cross meaning: the large star represents Niue, and the smaller stars symbolize links with New Zealand; yellow stands for sunshine, as well as the warmth and friendship between Niue and New Zealand

Yellow five-pointed star

Yellow

"God Save the King"

Unknown

In use since 1745

Upper-middle-income self-governing New Zealand territorial economy; environmentally fragile; massive emigration; post-pandemic tourism rebound; postage stamps, small-scale agricultural processing, and subsistence farming; most recent Asian Development Bank member

$18.7 million (2021 est.)

$19.9 million (2020 est.)

$20.9 million (2019 est.)

$11,100 (2021 est.)

$11,800 (2020 est.)

$12,400 (2019 est.)

Coconuts, taro, fruits, sweet potatoes, tropical fruits, yams, vegetables, lemons/limes, bananas, pork (2023)

Handicrafts, food processing

USA 54%, Germany 8%, Canada 5%, UK 5%, Guatemala 4% (2023)

Abrasive powder, coin (2023)

NZ 87%, Fiji 6%, UAE 2%, Slovakia 1%, Australia 1% (2023)

Refined petroleum, plastic products, machine parts, construction vehicles, cars (2023)

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -

1.652 (2024 est.)

1.628 (2023 est.)

1.577 (2022 est.)

1.414 (2021 est.)

1.542 (2020 est.)

3,000 kW (2023 est.)

3 million kWh (2023 est.)

400,000 kWh (2023 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

61 bbl/day (2023 est.)

1,000 (2021 est.)

52 (2021 est.)

1 state-owned TV station, with many of the programs supplied by Television New Zealand; 1 state-owned radio station broadcasting in AM and FM (2019)

.nu

80% (2024 est.)

1 (2025)

70 (2023)

Bulk carrier 5, container ship 2, general cargo 29, oil tanker 4, other 30

1 (2024)

0

0

0

1

0

Alofi

No regular indigenous military forces; Niue Police Department

Under the Niue Constitution Act of 1974, New Zealand provides assistance with foreign affairs, defense, and security if requested by the Niue government