ie); Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $192.3 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.3% (FY96)

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues New Caledonia

Disputes - international: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New
Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Niue

Introduction

Niue

Background: 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 2,100 in 2002) with substantial emigration to New Zealand,
2,400 km to the southwest.

Geography Niue

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

Geographic coordinates: 19 02 S, 169 52 W

Map references: Oceania

Area: total: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 260 sq km

Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 64 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m

Natural resources: fish, arable land

Land use: arable land: 19% permanent crops: 8% other: 73% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: typhoons

Environment - current issues: increasing attention to conservationist
practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and
burn agriculture

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not
ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: one of world's largest coral islands

People Niue

Population: 2,134 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA%

Population growth rate: 0.5% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio: NA

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births