: Agriculture provides the economic base. The major export
earners are fruit, copra, and clothing. Manufacturing activities are
limited to a fruit-processing plant and several clothing factories.
Economic development is hindered by the isolation of the islands from
foreign markets and a lack of natural resources and good transportation
links. A large trade deficit is annually made up for by remittances from
emigrants and from foreign aid. Current economic development plans call
for exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry.

_#_GDP: $40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.); real growth rate
5.3% (1986-88 est.)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1988)

_#_Unemployment rate: NA%

_#_Budget: revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

_#_Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988);

commodities--copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing;

partners--NZ 80%, Japan

_#_Imports: $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);

commodities--foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber;

partners--NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US

_#_External debt: $NA

_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%

_#_Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced,
1,170 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: fruit processing, tourism

_#_Agriculture: export crops--copra, citrus fruits, pineapples,
tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops--yams, taro

_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $128 million

_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand
dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January
1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088
(1986), 2.0064 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

_*_Communications
_#_Highways: 187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km
improved earth, 33 km unimproved earth

_#_Ports: Avatiu

_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft

_#_Airports: 7 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

_#_Telecommunications: stations--2 AM, no FM, no TV; 10,000 radio
receivers; 2,052 telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
_%_
_@_Coral Sea Islands
(territory of Australia)
_*_Geogr