Tokelau

§1. Tokelau Introduction

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.

§2. Tokelau Geography

Location:
  Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half
  of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
  9 00 S, 172 00 W

Map references:
  Oceania

Area:
  total: 10 kmē
  land: 10 kmē
  water: 0 kmē

Area - comparative:
  about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  101 km

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

Natural resources:
  NEGL

Land use:
  arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA kmē

Natural hazards:
  lies in Pacific typhoon belt

Environment - current issues:
  very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to
  emigration to New Zealand

Geography - note:
  consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of
  reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three meters above
  sea level

§3. Tokelau People

Population:
  1,392 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42%
  15-64 years: 53%
  65 years and over: 5% (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  -0.01% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  NA

Death rate:
  NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:
  NA

Sex ratio:
  NA

Infant mortality rate:
  total: NA
  male: NA
  female: NA

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: NA
  male: -9 years
  female: -9 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  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

Literacy:
  NA

§4. Tokelau Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Tokelau

Dependency status:
  self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand
  have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free
  association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on self-governance,
  in February 2006, did not produce the two thirds majority vote necessary
  for changing the current political status

Government type:
  NA

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; amended in 1970

Legal system:
  New Zealand and local statutes

Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by
    Governor General of New Zealand Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April
    2001); New Zealand is represented by Administrator Neil WALTER (since 1
    March 2003)
  head of government: Kolouei O'BRIEN (2006); note - position rotates
    annually among the three Faipule (village leaders)
  cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, consisting of
    three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors),
    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 (21 seats; based upon proportional representation
  from the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms;
  Nukunonu has 6 seats, Fakaofo has 7 seats, Atafu has 8 seats); note - the
  Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the
  General Fono
  elections: last held January 2005 (next to be held January 2008)

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:
  PIF, SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU

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

§5. Tokelau Economy

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 rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about
  $4 million annually - to maintain public services, with 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 (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $1,000 (1993 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: NA%
  industry: NA%
  services: NA%

Labor force:
  NA

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $430,800
  expenditures: $2.8 million; including capital expenditures of $37,300 (1987
    est.)

Agriculture - products:
  coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish

Industries:
  small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft
  goods; stamps, coins; fishing

Electricity - production:
  NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:
  NA kWh

Exports:
  $98,000 f.o.b. (1983)

Exports - commodities:
  stamps, copra, handicrafts

Exports - partners:
  New Zealand (2004)

Imports:
  $323,000 c.i.f. (1983)

Imports - commodities:
  foodstuffs, building materials, fuel

Imports - partners:
  New Zealand (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
  about $4 million annually from New Zealand

Currency (code):
  New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Exchange rates:
  New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221
  (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

§6. Tokelau Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  300 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  0 (2001)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system;
  domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
  international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
    government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth
    stations

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
  note: 1 radio station provides service to all islands (2002)

Internet country code:
  .tk

Internet hosts:
  303 (2005)

Internet users:
  NA

§7. Tokelau Transportation

Airports:
  none; lagoon landings are possible by amphibious aircraft (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  none; offshore anchorage only

§8. Tokelau Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

§9. Tokelau Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
