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  Tokelau
(territory of New Zealand)
 
Flag of Tokelau
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Tokelau
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Tokelau Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Tokelau Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
9 00 S, 172 00 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 10 sq km
land: 10 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
101 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
NEGL
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
lies in Pacific typhoon belt
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level
   People    Tokelau Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,449 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 42%
15-64 years: 53%
65 years and over: 5%
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.018% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Polynesian
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
NA
   Government    Tokelau Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tokelau
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
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 October 2007 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
none; each atoll has its own administrative center
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of New Zealand)
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of New Zealand)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand and local statutes
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006)
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:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral General Fono (21 seats; based upon proportional representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; Nukunonu has six seats, Fakaofo has seven seats, Atafu has eight 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:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
none
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
PIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (territory of New Zealand)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
the flag of New Zealand is used
   Economy    Tokelau Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.5 million (1993 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1,000 (1993 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
440 (2001)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million (1987 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA kWh
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$0 f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
stamps, copra, handicrafts
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$969,200 c.i.f. (2002)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand (2006)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Tokelau Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
300 (2002)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (one radio station provides service to all islands) (2002)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.tk
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
249 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transportation    Tokelau Top of Page
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
none; offshore anchorage only
   Military    Tokelau Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
   Transnational Issues    Tokelau Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olohega) in its 2006 draft constitution

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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