InfoNation

NIUE is located at 19 degrees South latitude and 169 degrees West Longitude. Local time is 11 hours 20 mintes behind GMT. Land Area is 259 sq km, the EEZ area is 390,000 sq km, and the coastline is 64 km. The island is an emerged atoll with former reef and lagoon uplifted to about 60m above sea level. It consists of limestone. The interior is a plateau featuring a jagged surface, slightly depressed towards the centre. The edge of this plateau slopes steeply on all sides to a lower terrace which ends abruptly, in most places, in uneven cliffs deeply cut by wave action.

A coral reef occurs intermittently along the coastline which is honeycombed by caves, chasms, and blowholes. Niue has no surface water but artesian bores enable the subterranean reservoir of fresh water to be tapped.

Climate ~ From April to December the prevailing winds are the east-south-east trades. From January to March the winds tend to be more variable, storms can occur. Mean monthly temperatures vary between 23 degrees celcius and 27 degrees Celcius and humidity is high throughout the year. Rainfall averages 2,177 mm, although droughts are frequent. Niue is on the edge of the hurricane belt but cyclone destruction is infrequent.

Language ~ The indigenous language is a Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan. English is also spoken because of Niue's association with New Zealand.

Land ~ The only landowners are the NIueans and the Government. The sale of land is forbidden. About 200 sq km are available for agriculture. Common subsistence food crops include taro, yam, breadfruit, tapioca, kumera and bananas. More recenlty introduced vegetables such as tomatoes and beans, flourish. The remainder of the island is forest.

Soils ~ The soils are mainly shallow, possibly containing some volcanic ash. They are of marginal use for pasture productioin. The pockets of better soils can sustain some export crops.

Vegetation ~ Uncleared forests, which cover 20 percent of NIue, contain banyan, Tahitian chestnut and kafika trees. Much of the island is wooded with secondary growth forming thickets. Smaller trees include candlenut and gardenia while coconut, fan palm, pandanus, hibiscus, and many types of fern and creeper abound.