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Niue

General Information about Niue

Niue is a small island nation commonly referred to as the "Rock of Polynesia" or just 'the Rock' by the locals. Niue is in free association with New Zealand is is situated 2,400 kilometres northeast of the nation in the South Pacific. Niue has a population of just over 1,600 people. The official language spoken in Niue is Niuean which is a Polynesian language very similar to Samoan or Tongan. English is also spoken throughout the island. Over 61% of the Niuean population are members of the Ekalesia Niue, or Niuean Church, which is a Protestant church. There are also small minority followings of other religions suchas Roman Catholic, Latter-Day Saints and Jehovah's Witness. Niue's capital city is Alofi which is situated on the eastern coast of the island and is home to over half of the island's population. The city is made up of the two smaller villages Alofi North and Alofi South. The government headquarters are located at Alofi South.

Nuie's Avaiki Cave, where Nuie's first settlers landed has a narrow gorge and beautiful rockpool. A little further along is the Palaha Cave which is covered in stalagmites and stalactites. The Vaikona Chasm is another popular cave to explore. After the forest and coral pinnacles lies the chasm with two pools. The more adventurous can also continue swimming through the dark waters to other caves. Between June and October Humpback Whales shelter in some of the bays of Niue very close to th e waters edge and it is sometimes possible to swim out to them and go snorkelling and swimming with them. The waters around Niue are clear and unpolluted so snorkelling is a very popular activity. There is wonderful marine life here such as turtles, dolphins, water snakes and many different species of fish.

Climate

Find Out About The Climate In Niue

The small island of Niue generally experiences a typical tropical climate with warm weather conditions throughout the entire year. Visiting during October and April should be taken with care as this is the wet season with heavy rainfalls occurring regularly. It is common for tropical cyclones to occur in Niue. Niue can be characterized by trade winds particularly in the south eastern parts. The average annual temperature of Niue ranges between 27 and 29 degrees.

Geography

Geographical Information On Niue

Set in the South Pacific Ocean just east of Tonga, Niue is a tiny island with a total area of 260 square kilometres with a coastline of just 64 kilometres. Niue is of course neighbours with New Zealand but also is neighbours with Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands. Captain James Cook was the first European to discover Niue in 1774 but was refused entry to the island by the natives. This then led him to name the island Savage Island because of the way he was greeted. The terrain of Niue is mostly steep limestone cliffs along the coastline reaching as high as 60 metres with central plateaus. If you are visiting Niue then you must check out their beautiful display of coral islands. It is a well known fact that Niue has one of the world's largest coral islands. The highest peak of Niue remains unnamed today and rises to just 68 metres and can be found near the Mutalau settlement.

Economy

Learn About The Economy Of Niue

The economy of Niue mainly revolves around the Government who has been in charge of the country's economic affairs since 1974. Now Niue is venturing to increase its market in the private sector. Niue has a small economy with the main contributor to the economy being the service industry. A contribution of just over 49 percent was recorded in 2003 with a labour force of just 663 in 2001. The agricultural industry is also a huge support to the economy which mainly consists of subsistence gardening with small amounts of cash crops. The industry sector mainly processes passion fruit, lime oil, honey and coconut cream. Many families on the island work on family plantations with most of the paid work existing within the government. Also Niue has strong sales of postage stamps which is also important to the economy with most of the sales going to foreign collectors. Niue receives economic aid from New Zealand with $2.6 million being recorded in 2002. The official currency of Niue is the New Zealand Dollar.

Must Explore would like to wish you an enjoyable stay in Niue.

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