Schematic map of the island of Niue.

Niue Island (Savage) is an island located in the southern part Pacific Ocean in Polynesia east direction from the Tonga archipelago. The island's full name is Niue Fekai, which means "coconut tree" and "cannibal" in Polynesian. The name Savage was given by James Cook immediately after the discovery of the island.

The island is a piece of land with an almost regular circular shape, 18 kilometers in diameter, with two small bays that protrude slightly into the land.

The total area of ​​the island is slightly more than 261 square kilometers.

The island is a self-governing territorial entity in free association with New Zealand, which is part of the Kingdom of New Zealand.

East coast of Niue island.

Story.

It is believed that the first inhabitants on the island appeared around the 9th century, arriving on the previously uninhabited island from the Samoan archipelago. At the end of the 16th century, the island was captured by warlike tribes who arrived from the islands of the Tongan archipelago.

In 1774, the island was discovered to Europeans by one of the expeditions of James Cook, who local residents were met with hostility. J. Cook gave the name to Savage Island, which translated means island of savages.

In 1900, Great Britain declared the island its protectorate, and in 1901 transferred it to the jurisdiction of New Zealand.

In 1974, after the adoption of the Constitution of Niue, the island received the status of a self-governing territorial entity in free association with New Zealand, which it still has.

Coastal limestone caves.

Origin and geography of the island.

Geographic coordinates of the island: 19°03′07″ S. w. 169°51′20″ W d.

According to its origin, the island is classified as coral. Niue is considered one of the largest coral islands in area, rising above the surface of the water.

The relief of the island is almost flat with a small plateau closer to the central part, which rises 5-60 meters. The coastline is dotted with steep limestone cliffs and has two small bays, Alofi and Avatale.

Climate.

The climate on the island is quite hot. At the minimum for a given climate zone precipitation (2100-2300 millimeters), it is not very humid. Two climatic seasons can be divided, which are different from each other: very hot with maximum humidity winter period, which lasts from late November to early March, and a drier season with moderate temperatures, which lasts from late April to early October. The first season is also characterized by numerous cyclones.

On average, temperature fluctuations on the island are insignificant throughout the year. The highest temperature in the first period is approximately 30 °C, in the second period - about 24-25 °C.

Grottoes on the southeast coast of Niue.

Population.

The permanent resident population on the island does not exceed 1,900 people. There has been a high level of population migration from the island to other countries and regions, including New Zealand in particular. According to the ethnic composition, the population is divided into Niueans (descendants of the first settlers from Samoa and Tonga), immigrants from other islands of Polynesia, Europe and Asia. The official languages ​​of the island are English and Niuean, a language formed on the basis of the Tongan language.

The administrative center of the island of Niue is small town Alofi (in a number of sources he is listed as Alofis). Population administrative center is approximately 580 people. There are no other large settlements on the island.

According to the recently adopted Constitution of Niue, the direct head of this territorial entity is the monarch of the Kingdom of New Zealand, who currently is Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, who governs the entity through her appointed Governor-General of New Zealand. Well, in practice, executive power on the island belongs to the Cabinet of Ministers, which is formed from the Prime Minister and three non-core ministers. Naturally, the government is headed by the Prime Minister, who must be elected by the Legislative Assembly.

The currency in circulation on the island is the New Zealand dollar. The island also issues its own local money in the form of coins, which are officially in parallel circulation, but their main purpose is to be used as souvenirs for sale to tourists and numismatists.

Aplonis starling.

Flora and fauna.

Niue is home to more than 600 species of woody and herbaceous plants, about a third of which are native. In the central part of the island there are rainforests, the main woody plant of which is lat. There are about five types of armor on the island, two of which are quite rare. In the coastal zone, there are mainly shrubby forms of vegetation, the same modified lats, which, as a result of a delay in growth, were modified into shrubs.

The only indigenous mammal on the island is the so-called Tongan flying fox, whose population has recently declined sharply due to uncontrolled deforestation.

About 30 species of birds nest and permanently live on the island, which cannot be classified as indigenous species, except for the modified subspecies of the Polynesian starling and the spotted larva-eater-whistle.

In addition to a huge number of fish, in the coastal waters and coral reefs of the island, there is a poisonous flat-tailed snake, which has a name in the local dialect - catuali, which is also considered an indigenous inhabitant not found anywhere else on Earth except Niue.

Tourism.

Despite the enormous potential for tourism development, this sector of the national economy on the island is in a permanent state. The main reason for the lack of tourism development lies in the geographical distance of the island from the mainland and the lack of air traffic.

The island is visited by a small number of tourists, mainly from Australia, the USA and New Zealand. It is tour operators from these countries who exclusively organize tourist trips to the island. There are practically no tourists from other countries and parts of the world in Niue.

Alofi Lagoon.

Useful information for tourists about Niue, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Niue, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions of Niue.

Geography of Niue

Niue, or Savage, is an island and state entity of the same name in free association with New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia, east of the Tonga Islands. Bordered by the territorial waters of American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Tonga and French Polynesia.

The national formation of Niue consists of the raised coral atoll of the same name and three underwater reefs. It is the largest raised atoll in the world.

Niue was once active volcano, which went extinct about 3 million years ago, and its upper part, located above ocean level, was subjected to severe erosion due to natural factors (rain, ocean waves).


State

State structure

Niue is a self-governing state entity in free association with New Zealand. The head of state is the British monarch, whose representative on the island is the High Commissioner. The head of government is the prime minister. The highest legislative body is the unicameral Legislative Assembly.

Language

Official language: Niuean, English

Most residents speak both official languages. The Niuean language is represented by two dialects: Motu (the dialect of the northern part of the island, it is more ancient) and Tafiti (the dialect of the southern part of the island, more modern).

Religion

The majority of believers (about 97%) are Christians. The majority (61.1%) of the island's population considers itself to be adherents of the so-called Ekalesia-Niue (the Protestant Church of Niue, which has close ties with the London Missionary Society)

Currency

International name: NZD

The New Zealand dollar is equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars, as well as coins in denominations of 1 and 2 dollars, 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

Many resort areas also accept US and Australian dollars as payment.

Currency exchange is possible at any hotel or exchange office, although any foreign currency other than Australian or New Zealand dollars can only be exchanged at the Bank of South Pacific and Westpac offices in Alofi.

Credit cards American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted at most hotels, resorts, rental companies and dive centers. Travel checks can be cashed at most banking institutions on the island.

Tourism in Niue

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Popular hotels

Tips

Tipping is not officially accepted; in the case of renting a boat or yacht, the amount of additional payments should be agreed upon in advance.

Purchases

Retail establishments are usually open from Monday to Saturday, from 08.00 to 16.00, but many private shops operate according to their own schedule.

There is no sales tax or VAT charged within Niue.

Medicine

Emergency numbers

Unified rescue service (fire service, police and ambulance) - 999.
Ambulance- 998 (Lord Liverpool Hospital) or 41-00 (Medical & Dental Centre).
Central Police Office - 43-33.
Fire service - 41-33.

National characteristics of Niue. Traditions

Drinking alcohol openly is also not accepted, regardless of the day of the week.

Fishing is limited and only possible with permission local authorities(fishing tours offered by hotels usually already include all the issued permits).

Underwater hunting using harpoon weapons is prohibited. Special attention is also paid to caring for coral reefs.

Niue Island (on English maps it is also referred to as Savage) is an island of coral origin, which is located in Polynesia in the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and is located east of the Tonga Islands. In Polynesian the name of the island is Niue Fekai, which translates as “cannibal” and “coconut tree”. The English version of the name Savage Island was assigned by James Cook, who named it after his discovery due to the unfriendliness of its local inhabitants.

Niue Island is the largest coral island in the world and has an almost regular round shape with a diameter of approximately 18 kilometers with two small bays that extend slightly into the land. The island's land area is about 261 square kilometers. Almost the entire length coastline The island is surrounded by a coral reef, which has short breaks in the east coast area.

According to experts, the island of Niue, which was originally uninhabited, was settled by colonists from the Samoan archipelago around the 9th century. Around the end of the 16th century, Niue and its inhabitants were invaded by Tongan tribes who arrived on the island by boats and canoes. The island was discovered for Europe by James Cook's expedition in 1774. At the beginning of 1900, Britain established its protectorate over the island and in mid-1901 delegated jurisdiction to its dominion, New Zealand.

Currently, Niue (since 1974) is a self-governing territorial entity in free association with New Zealand, has its own constitution and autonomous government.

The monetary unit in circulation on the island is the New Zealand dollar (sometimes called the New Zealand dollar or, simply, the kiwi) (NZD code 554), which consists of 100 cents.

The local population is small. IN this moment According to the latest census, no more than 1,900 people live permanently on the island. The ethnic composition is dominated by the so-called Niueans, who are descendants of immigrants from Samoa and Tonga; immigrants from Asia, Europe and other Polynesian islands also live compactly on the island. The official languages ​​in Niue are English and Niuean, which is a transformed form of the Tongan language.

The administrative center of the island is the town of Alofi (on a number of maps it is designated as Alofi). The population of Alofi, which is conventionally divided into southern and northern part does not exceed 600 people. Other settlements are small villages that are scattered along the entire coast of the island.

The main areas of Niue's national economy are copra production, fishing and, of course, tourism. Niue will leave deep positive impressions for tourists and guests arriving on the island for a long time.

You can get to the island either by air or by sea, usually from Australia and New Zealand. South of Alofi there is a small airport that has international status and receives regular flights from Tonga, Samoa, Australia and New Zealand. Alofi, located on the shore of a small bay of the same name, is also seaport, which accepts small passenger and cargo ships. A serious obstacle to navigation in coastal waters is the coral reef, which is interrupted only in the area of ​​Alofi Bay.

Arriving tourists can stay in small hotels in Alofi, which do not pretend to be fashionable, but can provide basic service to clients. At the moment, there are about eight hotels in Alofi, which can simultaneously accommodate about seven hundred tourists and guests of the island.

The climate in Niue is quite hot and not very humid. All this contributes to development on the island beach tourism. Almost along the entire coast of the island there are beaches with pinkish sand due to the presence of fractions of crushed coral fragments in it. In some places, the coast consists of low cliffs, which offer vacationers a panoramic view of the sea and the landscape of the island. Officially, Niue has three organized and equipped beaches, which are located on west coast not far from Alofi, but many vacationers prefer the natural beaches and rocks that are in abundance here. When relaxing on the beach and swimming in coastal waters, it is worth remembering some precautions, since very strong levels of emitted ultraviolet radiation at these latitudes can have a detrimental effect on the skin of vacationers, and strong enough surf can pose a danger for swimmers and make it quite difficult to get out of the water, especially in the area of ​​coastal cliffs.

Recently, the island has been visited by more and more surfers, the stormy period here, which lasts from October to January, and the warm coastal waters provide the opportunity to surf at the highest level with maximum pleasure.

There is also something to do for diving enthusiasts. The reef surrounding the island takes on amazing shapes along its length, forming a mass of underwater caves and grottoes, which are also found on the coast. When diving, you should remember that spearfishing with harpoons is strictly prohibited in Niue. You should also beware of the poisonous flat-tailed catuali snake, which lives in coastal reefs.

There are no special attractions on the island, but all this is compensated for pristine nature islands. Niue is home to more than 500 species of herbaceous, shrub and woody plants, a third of which are endemic. In the eastern part of the island grow the tropical forests of Huvalu, consisting almost entirely of Niuean lat, which has five varieties. On the coast of the island grow shrubs, which have changed under the influence of environment. There are not a large number of mammal species on the island; their only prominent representative is the Tongan fox, the number of which has recently decreased greatly. More than 30 species of birds live on Niue, which can be classified as both alien and indigenous species. The latter include the spotted larva-eater and the Polynesian starling.

Niue - General information

Officially recognized name– Niue (also known as Savage).

Location– The island state of Niue is located in Polynesia, in the South Pacific Ocean. The country is part of the Kingdom of New Zealand. It does not have land borders with other states, but Niue has borders with the territorial waters of the Tonga Islands, the Cook Islands and the islands of American Samoa.

Territory– 261.46 square kilometers (229th place in the world).

Population- approximately 1,800 people (237th place in the world).

Ethnic composition of the population characterized by homogeneity (homogeneity). 81% of the total population are Niueans (descendants of the indigenous people of Polynesia), 11% are representatives of other islands of Oceania (mostly Fijians, Samoans, Tuvalians and Tongans), and a small number of residents are Europeans, and they make up 3%; 2.5% are Asians, 2.5% are representatives of other nationalities.

Religion- the majority of the population are adherents of Protestantism - 62%, about 9% are Catholics, Mormons - 8% and Jehovah's Witnesses - 2%. Small religious groups on the islands include: Hindus, Baha'is, Methodists, Sikhs, Seventh-day Adventists, as well as representatives of various Christian faiths. A small number of island residents consider themselves atheists.

Capital- Alofi.

Largest cities– Alofi, Hakulu, Avatele, Tamakautoga, Vaiea, Liku, Hikutawake, etc.

The official language is English and Niuean. It is worth noting that the Niuean language is only a drop in the ocean among the large group of Polynesian languages. Writing in this national language appeared relatively recently and uses the Latin alphabet of 17 letters. The language also has two dialects within one island: the Tafiti dialect, characteristic of the south of the island, and the Motu dialect, characteristic of the northern part of the island.

Form of government- a constitutional monarchy.

The person in charge is Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, her viceroy in the Pacific region is the Governor-General, but direct power on the island is represented by the Chairman of the Governor-General.

Niue- an island and state entity of the same name in free association with New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia, east of the Tonga Islands. It borders the territorial waters of American Samoa, the Cook Islands and Tonga. Land area - 261.46 km². Population - 1679 people (2006). The capital is the village of Alofi (or Alophis).

The island was discovered by Europeans in 1774 by British navigator James Cook, who named it Savage, or "Island of Savages". In 1900, Niue became a protectorate of the British Empire and was annexed by New Zealand in 1901. In 1974, Niue became a self-governing state entity with New Zealand. Niue is a member of the South Pacific Commission and the Pacific Islands Forum.

The full modern name of the island is Niue-fekai (Niue Niuē-fekai), which is used only on formal occasions, songs. It consists of two components: the word niue formed from a noun niu(translated as "coconut palm") and translates as " here is a coconut tree»; fekai translated as " cannibal", although cannibalism did not exist on the island.

However, the oldest name for Niue is Nuku-tu-taha (Niue Nuku-tu-taha), which was given, according to local legends, by the discoverer of the island named Huanaki (Niue Huanaki) and which can be translated from the Niue language as "alone standing island» . Other historical names - Motu-te-fua (Niue Motu-te-fua, which translates to "island without fruit"), Fakahoa-motu (Niue Fakahoa-motu), Nuku-tuluea (Niue Nuku-tuluea). All these names have fallen out of use and can only be found in Niuean legends and songs.

Other historical name Niue, Savage (English) Savage Island), is associated with the name of the famous English navigator James Cook, who became the first European discoverer of the island. Translated from English this name translates as "Island of Savages". This is due to the fact that the English traveler was met with hostility by the local natives.

Geography

The national formation of Niue consists of the eponymous raised coral atoll and three underwater reefs located in the Pacific Ocean in Polynesia between the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. Niue Island is located approximately 480 km east of the Tonga Islands, 930 km west of Rarotonga, the main island of the Cook Islands, and approximately 2400 km northeast of Auckland. largest city New Zealand. The closest archipelagos are the Tonga (Friendship) Islands, which belong to the state of the same name and are located to the west of the island of Niue, and the Samoan archipelago, which lies to the northwest and belongs to Samoa and American (Eastern) Samoa.

Niue has a total area of ​​261.46 km², making it the largest single raised atoll in the world. Highest point islands, an unnamed hill near the village of Mutalau, reaches 68 m.

Climate

Niue's climate is hot and moderately humid. Due to the lack of mountains and small area climatic conditions almost the same throughout the island. There are two distinct seasons: a hot wet season from November to March, characterized by high temperatures and humidity and coinciding with the cyclone season, and a cooler dry season from April to October with warm sunny days, cool nights and strong breezes.

The average annual temperature in Niue varies slightly. The maximum daily temperature in January-February is 30 °C, in July-August - 26 °C. The average annual precipitation is about 2180 mm, although in the rainy season it can sometimes reach 3300 mm, and in the dry months 80-140 mm. The bulk of precipitation falls in January-March. Droughts of varying lengths occur at any time of the year, but most occur during the dry season. Prevailing winds blow from east to south and are influenced by the southeast trade wind zone, which lies on the edge of the tropical cyclone belt.

Niue Island is located in the southern part of the tropical cyclone belt and in the zone of southeast trade winds, as a result of which strong storms are observed on the island from April to October. Destructive cyclones hit Niue every ten years.

Flora and fauna

The island of Niue is home to 629 species of vascular plants, 175 of which are native. In general, two large zones of specific vegetation can be distinguished on the island: the tropical forests of the interior of Niue and the coastal flora. A significant part of the island is covered with bushes, only a few hectares of land are covered with virgin forests.

Niue's vegetation has been subject to significant anthropogenic influence. Virgin forests remain only in the central part of the island, in the east and southeast. They mainly contain tall trees, with a small amount of shrubs and grass cover in the lower tier of the forest. The largest forest on the island is called Huvalu, and any human activity there is strictly prohibited. Much of Niue is covered with secondary forest, which contains more flora than primary forests. In places where agricultural activities are carried out, small thickets form.

In inland forests, the most common tree species are lat. Syzgium inophylloides, lat. Syzgium richii. Among other plants, lat. Dysoxylum forsteri, lat. Planchonella torricellensis, lat. Pomentia pinnata, lat. Macaranga seemanii and lat. Fiscus prolixa. The lower layer of vegetation is dominated by lat. Polyscias multijuga, lat. Streblus anthropophagourm, lat. Merremia peltate And different types ferns.

The coastal zone mainly grows the same plants as the inland region of Niue. However, their distinguishing feature is stunted growth. On the shore there are numerous shrubs, including lat. Barringtonia asiatica, lat. Capparis cordifolia, lat. Timonius polygamu, lat. Ochrosia oppositifolia, lat. Pandanus tectorius, lat. Scaeveola taccada and lat. Messerchmidia argentea.

Terrestrial mammals are represented mainly by introduced species: dogs, pigs and cats. The only native land mammal on Niue is the Tongan flying fox. Pteropus tonganus), plays an important role in the island's ecosystem: it pollinates a significant proportion of local plants. However, deforestation and unauthorized hunting lead to a decrease in the number of this animal.

The island is home to 31 species of birds, none of which are endemic, but subspecies of the spotted larva-eater. Lalage maculosa) and the Polynesian starling (eng. Aplonis tabuensis) are endemic - lat. Lalage maculosa whitmeei and lat. Aplonis tabuensis brunnescens.

The coastal waters of Niue are also home to the endemic venomous flat-tailed snake - lat. Laticauda schystorhyncha(local name - catuali).

The government of Niue pays considerable attention to environmental protection, and there are several nature reserves located on the island. The largest of them is nature protection zone Huvalu forests, located in the eastern part of the island between the villages of Liku and Hakupu and on the territory of which about 188 thousand animals live. The area of ​​the reserve is 54 km². South of the village of Hakupu is located Hakupu Heritage Site and Cultural Park(English) Hakupu Heritage and Cultural Park), on the territory of which there are a number of burial places and dwellings of ancient Niueans, as well as a protection zone for flying foxes " Tauga-Peka"(Niue Tauga Peka). South of Cape Makapu is located Anono Marine Reserve(formerly known as Namoui). The area of ​​the reserve is 27.67 hectares.

Population

The main factor determining the demographic situation in Niue is the migration process local population. Due to the increased outflow of population to other countries (mainly to New Zealand), population growth on the island is negative. Until 1930, Niue experienced significant population growth, and in 1966 the historical maximum population was reached - 5,194 people. However, starting this year, there was a decline in population. In 1994, for the first time in thirty years, population growth was noted, followed by depopulation again.

The process of migration from the island of Niue has a long history. Since the mid-19th century, Niueans were exported by Europeans to various plantations: the islanders worked on cotton plantations in Samoa and mined phosphorites in Eastern Polynesia. But only after the end of World War II did the process of emigration from the island of Niue take on modern shape. New Zealand, Australia and the United States, which at that time needed labor due to significant economic growth, accepted the Niuans without any problems. The opening of an international airport on Niue in 1971, as well as granting the island in 1974 the status of a self-governing state entity in free association with New Zealand (this meant granting the islanders New Zealand citizenship) significantly facilitated the process of emigration of the indigenous population of Niue. The main factors for the outflow of the population were: economic (higher standard of living in New Zealand, high employment, wages, higher level of education), geographical (Niue is a small island located far from continents and large archipelagos; lack of land and other important resources; frequent destructive tropical cyclones causing irreparable damage to local infrastructure and agriculture), political (in the past, close colonial relations with New Zealand; population dissatisfaction with the political situation on the island).

According to the 2006 census (data from the Niue Department of Statistics), the country's population was 1,625 people (the entire population staying on the island during the census was counted, including residents and non-residents; if residents were abroad, they were not counted in the census). By 2009, the CIA estimated that figure had dropped to 1,398. The rate of population decline in Niue is high compared to other countries in Oceania: 0.032% according to a 2009 estimate. The 2006 census showed a decrease in population by 9% compared to the 2001 census data, that is, by 163 people.

For statistical purposes, population counts are carried out by settlement. In 2006, the largest settlement by population was the village of Alofi, which unites two villages: South Alofi(434 people) and North Alofi(147 people). The second most populous settlement is the village. Avatele(164 people). Namukulu- the smallest village of the island (only 14 people). Only in three populated areas Population increases were recorded compared to 2001 in Avatela (31% increase), South Alofi (21% increase) and Tamakautog (12% increase). In other settlements, population decline was noted. The largest declines were in Alofi North (43%), Mutalau (36%) and Makefu and Nakupu (29% each). The main reason for depopulation, as before, remains emigration to New Zealand, although the population size of North Alofi was caused by changes in the boundaries of the village.

A large diaspora of people from Niue exists in New Zealand. In 2001, 20,100 Niueans were registered in this country (about 9% of the number of Oceanian peoples living in New Zealand). The majority (78%) lived in Auckland, 5% in Wellington.

In 2006, men made up 46.5% (756 people), women - 53.5% (782 people). The share of children under 14 years old in 2006 was 24.9%, adults from 15 to 64 years old - 63.2%, over 64 years old - 11.9%. The average life expectancy of the population in 1997 was 69.5 years.

Ethnic composition

Niue's population is homogeneous: according to the 2006 census, 81% of resident residents (or 1,538 people) were Niueans (members of the indigenous Polynesian people, whose ancestors are believed to have sailed to the island from Tonga, Samoa and Pukapuka), 11% (172 people) ) - people from other islands of Oceania (mainly Tongans, Tuvaluans, Samoans and Fijians), 3% - Europeans, 2.6% - Asians, 2.6% - people from other countries and regions.

According to the 2001 census, the share of Niueans was 80.6%, people from other islands of Oceania - 10.5%, Caucasians - 4.7%, Mongoloids - 0.2% The number of people from marriages of Niueans and residents of other Pacific Islands - 2 .4%, and from Niueans and Caucasians - 1.6%.

Languages

In addition to English, the country's official language is Niuean, one of the many languages ​​of the Polynesian group of Austronesian languages, along with Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, Tahitian and others. Together with the Tongan language, Niue forms the Tongan subgroup of the Polynesian group of languages. The written language was created in the first half of the 19th century by Christian missionaries originally from Samoa. The total number of native Tongan speakers in 1998 was 7,990.

The language uses the Latin alphabet. It consists of only 17 letters: 5 vowels and 12 consonants. The length of vowel sounds plays a big role in oral speech, which can change the meaning of a word. In writing, longitude is indicated by a macron. The Niuean language is represented by two dialects: motu(dialect of the northern part of the island, it is more ancient) and tafiti(dialect of the southern part of the island, more modern). The difference between them mainly lies in the methods of word formation and vocabulary (for example, kautoga on motu and lala In Tafiti they mean “guava”).

According to the 2006 census, the vast majority of island residents (72%) say they regularly communicate in Niuean. 18% of respondents indicated that they use it often, and only 3% do not speak it at all. Moreover, for two-thirds of the inhabitants, the Niuean language is their first language, which they learn from childhood, 12% of the islanders learn both Niuean and English from childhood, and only 9% of Niueans English language is their first language. In the majority of households (43%), residents communicate in both Niuean and English.

Religion

The dominant religion on the island of Niue is Christianity. The first Christian missionary to Niue, who landed there in 1830, was a member of the London Missionary Society, John Williams. Although he did not remain on the island, he took with him two Niueans to study at the missionary school, who, after returning to Niue, took up educational activities. In general, the process of Christianization of the population proceeded rather slowly and was accompanied by discontent among the population due to the fact that missionaries brought a number of previously unknown diseases to the island, due to which a large number of islanders died.

According to the 2006 census, 62% of the islanders (or 956 people) are followers of the Protestant Congregational Christian Church of Niue. ), 9% (138 people) are Catholics, 8% (127 people) are Mormons, 2% (28 people) are Jehovah's Witnesses. Among other faiths (this is about 9% of the population) there are Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, Baha'is, Sikhs, Hindus, as well as followers of other Christian teachings. In the census, 3% of residents indicated that they were atheists, and 7% did not indicate their religion.

Congregational Christian Church of Niue Congregational Christian Church of Niue listen)) is the largest Christian church in Niue, which is a local branch of the London Missionary Society and became autonomous in 1970. In 1996, it opened its representative office in the New Zealand city of Auckland, where a large Niuean diaspora lives.

Transport

Poor transport connections impose significant restrictions on the development of trade relations with the countries of Oceania and the whole world, as well as tourism.

A 64-kilometer road stretches along the coast of the island, passing through 13 villages of Niue. There are also two main roads running through the center of the island (total length is about 230 km). Most roads are paved and maintained by road services to a very high level.

There are no natural bays on the island. However, the village of Alofi has a pier, which can only be approached by small ships.

In 1970, it was built in Niue international Airport Hannan, which was subsequently expanded in 1994 to accommodate Boeing 737 aircraft. Regular flights to the island are provided by the New Zealand airline " Air New Zealand».

Not available on the island public transport, most residents move around the island in their own cars.

Tourism

Although the tourism sector in Niue is in its infancy, tourism development on the island is one of the government's priorities. The main limitations for the development of tourism are very poor air connections with other countries of the world and the almost complete absence of developed tourism infrastructure.

In 2002, 3,155 people visited Niue. The island is mainly visited by citizens of New Zealand, Australia, European countries, the USA and Canada.

  • Niue is the largest and highest raised atoll in the world.
  • In 1996, there were 2,089 Niueans living in Niue and 18,474 Niueans living in New Zealand.
  • Niue's Internet domain, .nu, was registered by an American businessman William Semich, who back in 1997 approached ICANN and received the rights to administer it and sell names, providing in return the residents of Niue with free access to the Internet. Annual turnover of Semicha's company NU Domain is about $4 million.
  • According to Computerra magazine, Niue's Internet domain, .nu, has attracted exploiters and is attracting scammers with its anonymous registration.
  • On August 21, 2008, every Niuean junior and senior high school student received an XO laptop distributed through the initiative. One Laptop Per Child. Island state OLPC administration donated 500 laptops.
  • August 3, 2011 at an altitude of 20 km. meteorite exploded