Tokelau: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Flag of New Zealand is used in Tokelau An unofficial flag of Tokelau used since 1989
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 center
Political status	Territory of New Zealand
Head of State	Queen Elizabeth II (as Queen of New Zealand)
Administrator	Neil Walter
Head of Government	Pio Tuia
Area  – Total  – % water	10 km²  Negligible
Population  – Total (2004)  – Density	1,405  141/km²
Dependent area of	New Zealand
Currency	New Zealand dollar ($ NZD)
Time zone	UTC -11
Internet TLD	.tk
Some data from The CIA's 2004 World Factbook

Tokelau is a group of three tropical coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, a territory of New Zealand. The islands are occasionally referred to by an older colonial name, The Union Islands, and 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, but a referendum on a change in status began on February 11, 2006. The results, announced on February 16th, showed a preference for Free Association, but since neither side got a two-thirds majority, the proposals for Free Association did not pass.

Geography and Location

Aerial map

History

Tokelau was originally settled by Polynesians migrating from surrounding island groups. The islands lie about 500 km north of Samoa. The islands were made a British protectorate in 1889, part of the British Colony of the Gilbert & Ellice Islands from 1916 and then transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925. They remain a territory of New Zealand administered under the Tokelau Act of 1948, as amended from 1963 to 1999, and defence is 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, like Niue and the Cook Islands. The official name until 1976 was Tokelau Islands.

Main article: Politics of Tokelau

The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by Administrator Neil Walter. 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 territory to a state in free association with New Zealand. Besides the treaty, a UN sponsored referendum will take place, with the three islands voting on successive days starting February 13, 2006. (Tokelauans based in Apia, Samoa voted on February 11.) [1]. On February 16, the results of the referendum were announced. Free Association got 349 votes, while the status quo got 232 votes. Since a two-thirds majority was required, the vote failed. [2]

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

A fourth island which is geographically, but not politically, part of the Tokelau chain is Swains Island, which has been part of American Samoa since 1935.

Tokelau is a very poor community, with a purchasing power of about €814 ($1,000) per capita. The government has revenues of about €410,000 (less than $500,000) per year against expenditures of €2.3 million (some $2.8 million). The deficit is made up by foreign aid from New Zealand. Tokelau exports around €80,000 (around $100,000) of stamps, copra, and handicrafts and imports €245,000 (over $300,000) of foodstuffs, building materials, and fuel to and from New Zealand.

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, and bananas, pigs, poultry, and goats.

Tokelau has fewer than 1500 Polynesian inhabitants living in three villages, who speak Tokelauan and English. Their isolation and lack of resources greatly restrains 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.

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%.

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 it away to anyone for free. Free domains are pointed to Tokelau nameservers, which 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).

Tokelau has radiotelephone service between the islands and to Samoa and in 1997 established a government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with three satellite earth stations. Each atoll has a radio broadcast station that broadcasts shipping and weather reports and nearly every household has a radio.

Since September 2003 the island Fakaofo is the first part of Tokelau with a high-speed internet connection. The service is free for everyone. The Foundation Tokelau finances the project.

In late February and early March of 2005, Tokelau was struck and severely damaged by Cyclone Percy. The cyclone proved stronger than forecast and stayed in the vicinty for longer than had been predicted. It coincided with a spring tide which put most of the villages of Fakaofo and Nukunonu under a metre of seawater. The cyclone also caused major erosion on several islets of the three atolls, damaging roads, bridges and disrupting power and telecommunications systems. There was also significant and widespread damage to foodcrops, including bananas, coconuts and pandanus. No one was seriously injured in the cyclone but villagers lost significant amounts of property.

Countries in Oceania
	Australia : Australia · Norfolk Island
	Melanesia : Fiji · New Caledonia · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu
	Micronesia : Guam · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Northern Mariana Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · Palau
	Polynesia : American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · New Zealand · Niue · Pitcairn · Samoa · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Wallis and Futuna