Tokelau

text

<p>Tokelau is composed of three atolls (Fakaofo, Atafu, and Nukunonu), and it was first settled by Polynesians around A.D. 1000. The atolls operated relatively independently, but Fakaofo Atoll eventually subjugated the others. British explorers first saw the atolls in 1765 and 1791. Catholic and Protestant missionaries arrived in the 1840s and converted the population on the islands on which they landed.<br><br>In 1863 Peruvian slave raiders abducted many islanders, and roughly contemporary outbreaks of disease reduced the population to about 200. Settlers of diverse nationalities subsequently intermarried with Tokelauans. In the same period, local governance moved to a system based on a Council of Elders, which still exists today. British interest began in the late 1870s, and Tokelau became a British protectorate in 1889, and in 1916 under the name Union Group, Tokelau became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. In 1925, the UK placed Tokelau under New Zealand administration. The Tokelau Islands Act of 1948 formally transferred sovereignty from the UK to New Zealand, and Tokelauans were granted New Zealand citizenship. In 1979, the US relinquished its claim to Tokelau in the Treaty of Tokehega, and Tokelau relinquished its claim to Swains Island, which is part of American Samoa.<br><br>Economic opportunities in Tokelau are sparse, and about 80% of Tokelauans live in New Zealand. Tokelau held self-governance referendums in 2006 and 2007 in which more than 60% of voters chose free association with New Zealand; however, the referendums failed to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to enact a status change. </p>

text

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

text

9 00 S, 172 00 W

text

Oceania

text

about 17 times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

text

101 km

text

tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

text

low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

text

fish

text

0 sq km (2022)

text

the small population is fairly evenly distributed among the three atolls

text

lies in Pacific cyclone belt

text

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 (10 ft) above sea level

text

Tokelauan 64.5%, part Tokelauan/Samoan 9.7%, part Tokelauan/Tuvaluan 2.8%, Tuvaluan 7.5%, Samoan 5.8%, other Pacific Islander 3.4%, other 5.6%, unspecified 0.8% (2016 est.)

text

Tokelauan 88.1% (a Polynesian language), English 48.6%, Samoan 26.7%, Tuvaluan 11.2%, Kiribati 1.5%, other 2.8%, none 2.8%, unspecified 0.8% (2016 ests.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

text

Congregational Christian Church 50.4%, Roman Catholic 38.7%, Presbyterian 5.9%, other Christian 4.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2016 est.)

text

-0.01% (2019 est.)

text

-3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

text

the small population is fairly evenly distributed among the three atolls

text

1.67 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

text

overfishing; damage to forest resources; pollution of freshwater and coastal waters from improper disposal of chemicals

text

tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

text

<p>parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy</p>

text

Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand and part of the Realm of New Zealand; Tokelau has its own political institutions, judicial system, public services (including telecommunications and shipping), and budget control

note

<strong>note</strong>: there is no designated, official capital for Tokelau; the location of the capital rotates among the three atolls along with the head of government or Ulu o Tokelau

text

common law system of New Zealand

note

<strong>note:</strong> Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory and has been administered by New Zealand since 1926; Tokelau is considered "part of New Zealand” under the Tokelau Act 1948, and Tokelauans are New Zealand citizens; in the mid-2000s Tokelau held two referenda on becoming self-governing in free association with New Zealand; the first vote was held in February 2006 but narrowly missed the two-thirds majority required for a change of status, as did a second vote held in 2007; since the self-government referenda, Tokelau has put questions about its constitutional status on hold; it remains a territory of New Zealand but exercises a substantial degree of self-government

text

see New Zealand

text

21 years of age; universal

note

<strong>note:</strong> the meeting place of the Tokelau Council and the head of government position rotates annually among the three atolls; this tradition has given rise to the somewhat misleading description that the capital rotates yearly between the three atolls, but Tokelau has no capital

text

none

text

none (territory of New Zealand)

text

none (territory of New Zealand)

text

PIF (associate member), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU

text

none (territory of New Zealand)

text

Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840)

note

<strong>note: </strong>Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand

text

<strong>description:</strong> a stylized yellow Tokelauan canoe on a dark blue field sails toward four white five-pointed stars on the left side<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the stars are the Southern Cross constellation and represent the role of Christianity in Tokelauan culture; the stars and canoe together symbolize the country navigating into the future; yellow stands for happiness and peace, and blue for the ocean

text

tuluma (fishing tackle box)

text

blue, yellow, white

text

small New Zealand territorial island economy; labor force can work in New Zealand or Australia; significant remittances; largely solar-powered infrastructure; reliant on New Zealand funding; stamp, coin, and crafts producer

note

<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars.

note

<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars

text

$12.658 million (2017 est.)

note

<strong>note:</strong> data uses New Zealand Dollar (NZD) as the currency of exchange.

note

<strong>note: </strong>Tokelau notes that its wide inflation swings are due almost entirely to cigarette prices, a chief import.

text

coconuts, root vegetables, tropical fruits, pork, bananas, eggs, chicken (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

text

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

text

Czechia 92%, Singapore 2%, Brazil 1%, South Africa 1%, Sri Lanka 1% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

text

cars, telephones, garments, iron fasteners, fabric (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

text

Samoa 31%, Italy 23%, France 21%, Netherlands 16%, Germany 2% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

text

integrated circuits, stone processing machines, refined petroleum, gas turbines, plastic products (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

text

Sky TV access for about a third of the population; each atoll operates a radio service with shipping news and weather reports (2019)

text

.tk

text

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand