Population: 2,166 (July 2005 est.)
Capital: Alofi
Languages: Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Religions: 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)
Government: self-governing parliamentary democracy
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Geography: one of world's largest coral islands
Ethnic groups: Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)
Economy: 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 migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a
financial services industry, although former Premier LAKATANI announced in February 2002 that Niue will shut down the offshore
banking industry. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was about $2.6 million. Niue suffered a devastating hurricane in
January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on
foreign aid.
GDP per capita: purchasing power
parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)
GDP real growth: -0.3% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA
Internet country code: .nu
Dial code: +
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 2,150 in 2005), with substantial emigration
to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.