   #copyright

Tokelau

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Oceania
(Australasia)


                                                          CAPTION: Tokelau


                            The Flag of New Zealand is used in Tokelau
                           An unofficial flag of Tokelau used since 1989

                            Image:LocationTokelau.png
          Geographic location
                   of atolls: Atafu 8°33′6″S, 172°30′3″W
                                    Nukunonu 9°10′6″S, 171°48′35″W
                                           Fakaofo 9°21′55″S, 171°12′54″W
                    Languages                          Tokelauan, English
                      Capital                                       None;
                             each atoll has its own administrative centre
             Political status                    Territory of New Zealand
                Head of State Queen Elizabeth II (as Queen of New Zealand)
                Administrator                                David Payton
           Head of Government                             Kolouei O'Brien
                         Area
                    – Total
                    – % water
                                                                  12 km²
                                                               Negligible
                   Population
            – Total ( 2006)
                    – Density
                                                                    1,392
                                                                  116/km²
            Dependent area of                                 New Zealand
                     Currency                          New Zealand dollar
                                                                  ($ NZD)
                          GDP                         $1.5 million ( 230)
                    Time zone                                     UTC -11
                 Internet TLD                                         .tk
                 Calling Code                                         690
                            Some data from The CIA's 2004 World Factbook

   Map of Tokelau.
   Enlarge
   Map of Tokelau.

   Tokelau is a non-self-governing colonial territory of New Zealand that
   comprises a group of three tropical coral atolls in the South Pacific
   Ocean. The islands are occasionally referred to by Westerners by an
   older colonial name, The Union Islands. Until 1976, the official name
   was Tokelau Islands. The United Nations Committee on Decolonization
   includes Tokelau on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing
   Territories. It is, according to the CIA World Factbook list of
   countries by GDP, the poorest country in the world.

History

   Tokelau was originally settled by Polynesians migrating from other
   island groups. The islands became a British protectorate in 1889 and
   then were annexed to the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice
   Islands in 1916 and then transferred to New Zealand administration in
   1926. By the Tokelau Act of 1948, sovereignty over Tokelau was
   transferred to New Zealand. Defence is also the responsibility of New
   Zealand. However, the Tokelauans are drafting a constitution and
   developing institutions and patterns of self-government as Tokelau
   moves towards free association with New Zealand, similarly to Niue and
   the Cook Islands.

Politics

   The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by
   Administrator David Payton. The head of government is Pio Tuia, who
   presides over the Council of Faipule, consisting of three elected
   leaders, one from each atoll, which functions as a cabinet. The monarch
   is hereditary, the administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign
   Affairs and Trade in New Zealand, and the head of government is chosen
   from the Council of Faipule for a one-year term.

   The Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers legislative power on the
   General Fono, a unicameral body of 45 seats. Each atoll's Council of
   Elders or Taupulega chooses 15 representatives to serve three-year
   terms.

   On November 11, 2004, Tokelau and New Zealand took steps to formulate a
   treaty that would turn Tokelau from a non-self-governing territory to a
   self-governing state in free association with New Zealand. Besides the
   treaty, a UN-sponsored referendum took place, with the three islands
   voting on successive days starting February 13, 2006. (Tokelauans based
   in Apia, Samoa voted on February 11.) . Out of 581 votes cast, 349 were
   for Free Association, being short of the two-thirds majority required
   for the measure to pass. The referendum was profiled (somewhat
   light-heartedly) in the May, 1, 2006 issue of The New Yorker magazine.
   A repeat referendum is planned for November 2007.

Geography

   Tokelau comprises three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean between 171°
   and 173° W longitude and 8° and 10° S latitude, approximately midway
   between Hawaiʻi and New Zealand. They lie about 500 km north of Samoa.

   The islands are Atafu (at one time known as the Duke of York Group),
   Nukunonu (also the Duke of Clarence Group), and Fakaofo (once Bowditch
   Island). Between them they comprise a land area of 10.8 km². They have
   no ports or harbours. Tokelau lies in the Pacific typhoon belt.

Territorial claim

   A fourth island that is culturally, historically and geographically -
   but not politically - part of the Tokelau chain is Swains Island
   (Olohega), under United States control since about 1900 and
   administered as part of American Samoa since 1935. The island was
   claimed by the United States pursuant to the Guano Islands Act. In the
   draft constitution of Tokelau subject to the Tokelauan
   self-determination referendum in 2006, Olohega is again claimed as part
   of Tokelau.

Economy

   Tokelau is not a wealthy community, with a purchasing power of about
   US$1,000(€814) per capita. The government is almost entirely dependent
   on subsidies from New Zealand. It has annual revenues of about less
   than US$500,000 (€410,000) against expenditures of some US$2.8 million
   (€2.3 million). The deficit is made up by aid from New Zealand. Tokelau
   exports around US$100,000(€80,000) of stamps, copra and handicrafts
   (woven and carved) and imports over US$300,000(€245,000) of foodstuffs,
   building materials and fuel to and from New Zealand. New Zealand also
   pays directly for the cost of medical and education services.

   A large number of Tokelauan people live in New Zealand and support
   their families in Tokelau by remittances.

   Local industries include small-scale enterprises for copra production,
   wood work, plaited craft goods, stamps, coins, and fishing. Agriculture
   and livestock produces coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas,
   pigs, poultry and few goats.

Demographics

   Tokelau has fewer than 1,500 Polynesian inhabitants in three villages
   who speak Tokelauan and English. Their isolation and lack of resources
   greatly limits economic development and confines agriculture to the
   subsistence level. The very limited natural resources and overcrowding
   are contributing to emigration to New Zealand, resulting in a
   population decline of about 0.9% per year. Depletion of tuna has made
   fishing for food more difficult.
   The atoll of Fakaofo, southernmost of the Tokelau Islands
   Enlarge
   The atoll of Fakaofo, southernmost of the Tokelau Islands

   On the island of Atafu, all inhabitants are members of the
   Congregational Christian Church of Samoa. On Nukunonu all are Roman
   Catholic. On Fakaofo, both denominations are present with the
   Congregational Christian Church predominant. The total proportions are:
   Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%.

Internet domain names

   Tokelau has an Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD), .tk,
   and attempts to make money for the island by selling domain names.
   However, to gain publicity, Tokelau gives most domain names under its
   authority away to anyone for free. Free domains are pointed to Tokelau
   nameservers that redirect HTTP traffic via HTML frames to a specified
   web page and redirects 5 email addresses to external addresses. Only
   paid domains get the option of using a different nameserver (enabling
   more services and disabling the web/email forwarding).
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokelau"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
