Country Summary: Niue
Country Name: Niue
Capital: Alofi
Government Type: parliamentary democracy
Background: Voyagers from Samoa first settled on Niue around A.D. 900 and a second main group of settlers came from Tonga around 1500. With only one reliable source of fresh water, conflict was high on the island. There was continued contact with both Samoa and Tonga, and customs from those islands heavily influenced Niuean culture, including the formation of an island-wide kingship system in the early 1700s. These kings, or patu-iki, were elected by Niueans. In 1774, British explorer James Cook abandoned attempts to land on the island after several unsuccessful tries, and he named it Savage Island because of the warlike appearance of the Niueans. Missionaries arrived in 1830 but were also largely unsuccessful at staying on the island until 1846, when a Niuean trained as a Samoan missionary returned to the island and provided a space from which the missionaries could work. In addition to converting the population, the missionaries worked to stop the violent conflicts between Niueans and helped establish the first parliament in 1849.
In 1889, King Fataaiki and other chiefs asked the UK for protectorate status, a request that was repeated in 1895. The UK finally agreed in 1900 and King Togia-Pulu-Toaki formally ceded Niue that year. In 1901, Niue was annexed to New Zealand and included as part of the Cook Islands. Niue’s remoteness and cultural and linguistic differences with the Cook Islands led New Zealand to separate Niue into its own administration in 1904. The island became internally self-governing in 1974; it is an independent member of international organizations but is in free association with New Zealand, which is responsible for defense and foreign affairs. In September 2023, the US recognized Niue as a sovereign and independent state.
Region: Oceania
Population: 2,000 (July 2022 est.)
note: because of the island's limited economic and educational opportunities, Niueans have emigrated for decades - primarily to New Zealand, but also to Australia and other Pacific island states; Niue's population peaked in 1966 at 5,194, but by 2005 had fallen to 1,508; since then it has rebounded slightly; as of 2013, 23,883 people of Niuean ancestry lived in New Zealand - with more than 20% Niue-born; this means that there are about 15 times as many persons of Niuean ancestry living in New Zealand as in Niue, possibly the most eccentric population distribution in the world
Ethnic Groups: Niuean 65.4%, part-Niuean 14%, non-Niuean 20.6% (2017 est.)
Languages: Niuean (official) 46% (a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and others 5%, other 6% (2011 est.)
Religions: Ekalesia Niue (Congregational Christian Church of Niue - a Protestant church founded by missionaries from the London Missionary Society) 61.7%, Church of Jesus Christ 8.7%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Jehovah's Witness 2.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.2%, none 8.9% (2017 est.)
Economic Overview: 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
Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $18.7 million (2021 est.)
Real GDP per Capita: $11,100 (2021 est.) note: data are in 2009 dollars
Exports:
$5.68 million (2021 est.)
Comparison Ranking: 220
Export Commodities: tanker ships, collector's items, commemorative coins, fruits, nuts, juice, electrical resistors (2021)
Export Partners: Indonesia 57%, Thailand 7%, South Korea 5%, Czechia 4%, Poland 4% (2021)
Imports:
$43.8 million (2021 est.)
Comparison Ranking: 218
Import Commodities: floating platforms, tugboats, refined petroleum, cargo ships, cars, plasticware (2021)
Import Partners: New Zealand 41%, United Kingdom 40%, Japan 15%, Israel 3%, Fiji 1% (2021)
Natural Resources: arable land, fish
Agricultural Products: coconuts, taro, fruit, sweet potatoes, tropical fruit, yams, vegetables, lemons, limes, bananas
Industries: handicrafts, food processing
Natural Hazards: tropical cyclones
Geography:
Total: 260 sq km
Land: 260 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)
LEGAL, FINANCIAL, & TAX ADVICE DISCLAIMER: The information on SportsLifeMoney’s™ (“SLM”) websites, podcast network, videos, social media accounts, and other platforms (collectively, “SLM Platforms”) is strictly and solely provided for educational and informational purposes only. All of the information and materials on the aforementioned SLM Platforms do not constitute and are not intended to provide legal, financial, accounting, or tax advice, and should not be relied on in that respect. SLM recommends that you consult with an attorney, certified financial advisor, or licensed accountant to answer any legal, financial, or tax questions you may have. SLM also recommends that you consult with an attorney, certified financial advisor, or licensed accountant before making any legal, financial, or tax-related decisions based on content and/or subject matter included and/or discussed on any of the SLM Platforms. Before you act or rely on any information you have heard, read, viewed, and/or listened to on any of the SLM Platforms or communication mediums, SLM recommends that you confirm any and all facts that are important to your decision and that you subsequently consult with an appropriate professional (e.g., attorney, certified financial advisor, certified accountant, etc.) and have them review these facts and also confirm their validity. CAUTION: IF YOU RELY ON ANY INFORMATION, CONTENT, PRODUCT, OR SERVICE FROM ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL DAMAGES OR LOSS THAT YOU MAY INCUR THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR USE AND/OR RELIANCE OF ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS OR ANY OF THE CONTENT OR MATERIAL OTHERWISE PROVIDED ON ANY OF THESE SLM PLATFORMS. SLM AND ANY AND ALL OF ITS AFFILIATES MAKE NO IMPLIED OR EXPRESS REPRESENTATIONS OR IMPLIED OR EXPRESS WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND REGARDING ANY AND ALL INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS OR SLM’S AFFILIATE PLATFORMS. SLM AND ITS AFFILIATES WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES. By continuing to use any of the SLM Platforms, you acknowledge and agree to the aforementioned terms and conditions of this disclaimer and any and all other legally binding terms and conditions set forth in SLM’s Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and other legally binding agreements.