| Background: |
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. According to a UN report, these low-lying islands
will disappear in the 21st century, if global warming
continues to raise sea levels. |
| Location: |
Oceania, group of
three islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of
the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
9 00 S, 172 00 W |
| Area: |
total:
10 sq km
land: 10 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
about 17 times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical;
moderated by trade winds (April to November) |
| Terrain: |
low-lying coral
atolls enclosing large lagoons |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
lies in Pacific
typhoon belt |
| Environment
- current issues: |
very limited
natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to
emigration to New Zealand |
| Population: |
1,445 (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA% |
| Population
growth rate: |
-0.92% (2001
est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
NA births/1,000
population |
| Death
rate: |
NA deaths/1,000
population |
| Net
migration rate: |
NA migrant(s)/1,000
population |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
NA deaths/1,000
live births |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
NA children
born/woman |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Polynesian |
| Religions: |
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 |
| Languages: |
Tokelauan (a
Polynesian language), English |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau |
| Dependency
status: |
territory of New
Zealand; note - Tokelauans are drafting a constitution,
developing institutions and patterns of self-government as
Tokelau moves toward free association with Wellington |
| Capital: |
none; each atoll
has its own administrative center |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none (territory
of New Zealand) |
| Independence: |
none (territory
of New Zealand) |
| National
holiday: |
Waitangi Day
(Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New
Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
| Constitution: |
administered
under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in 1970 |
| Legal
system: |
British and local
statutes |
| Suffrage: |
21 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
the UK and New Zealand are represented by Administrator
Lindsay WATT (since NA March 1993)
head of government: Aliki Faipule FALIMATEAO
(since NA 1997)
cabinet: the Council of Faipule, consisting of
three elected leaders, one from each atoll; 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 |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
General Fono (45 seats - 15 from each of the three atolls;
members chosen by each atoll's Council of Elders or
Taupulega to serve three-year terms); note - the Tokelau
Amendment Act of 1996 confers legislative power on the
General Fono |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court in
New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in
Tokelau |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
none |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
none |
| International
organization participation: |
SPC, WHO
(associate) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (territory
of New Zealand) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
none (territory
of New Zealand) |
| Flag
description: |
the flag of New
Zealand is used |
| Economy
- overview: |
Tokelau's small
size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources
greatly restrain economic development and confine
agriculture to the subsistence level. The people must rely
on aid from New Zealand to maintain public services, 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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $1.5 million (1993 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
NA% |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $1,000 (1993 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
NA% |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$430,830
expenditures: $2.8 million, including capital
expenditures of $37,300 (1987 est.) |
| Industries: |
small-scale
enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft
goods; stamps, coins; fishing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
NA kWh |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
NA kWh |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coconuts, copra,
breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats |
| Exports: |
$98,000 (f.o.b.,
1983) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
stamps, copra,
handicrafts |
| Imports: |
$323,400 (c.i.f.,
1983) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs,
building materials, fuel |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$3.8 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
New Zealand
dollar (NZD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
New Zealand
dollars per US dollar - 2.2502 (January 2001), 2.1863
(2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8632 (1998), 1.5083 (1997), 1.4543
(1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31
March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
NA |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
0 (2001) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: adequate
domestic: radiotelephone service between
islands
international: radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3
satellite earth stations, established in 1997 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM NA, FM NA,
shortwave NA
note: each atoll has a radio broadcast station
of unknown type that broadcasts shipping and weather reports
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
NA |
| Internet
country code: |
.tk |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
none; offshore
anchorage only |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
none; lagoon
landings by amphibious aircraft from Samoa |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of New Zealand |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
