SearchTraveling Luck for Niue. Niue, Oceania
Niue is located in Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga.
Land in Niue is steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau.
Niuean land covers an area of 260 square kilometers which is 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Niuean national flag (Flag of Niue)
Niue country profileAs for the Niuean climate; tropical; modified by southeast trade winds.
Niuean(s) speak Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English.
Places of note in Niue
Niuean map
Regions of Niue
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 2,166 in 2006), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.
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 emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about US$2 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.
Niuean natural resources include fish, arable land
one of world's largest coral islands
Niuean religion is 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).
Natural hazards in Niue include typhoons.