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Niue is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi) northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about 261 square kilometres (101 sq mi) and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands. It is 604 kilometres northeast of Tonga. The island is commonly referred to as "The Rock", which comes from the traditional name "Rock of Polynesia". Niue is one of the world's largest coral islands. The terrain of the island has two noticeable levels. The higher level is made up of a limestone cliff running along the coast, with a plateau in the centre of the island reaching approximately 60 metres above sea level. The lower level is a coastal terrace approximately 0.5 km wide and about 25–27 metres high, which slopes down and meets the sea in small cliffs. A coral reef surrounds the island, with the only major break in the reef being in the central western coast, close to the capital, Alofi.
The history of Niue is the history of the area and people of Niue, including its indigenous Polynesian societies. Niue was first settled by Polynesian sailors from Samoa in around 900 AD. Further settlers arrived from Tonga in the 16th century.
The politics of Niue take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a non-partisan system. Niue is self-governing in free association with New Zealand and is fully responsible for internal affairs. New Zealand retains some responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with Niue. The Niue Constitution Act 1974 (NZ) vests executive authority in His Majesty the King in Right of New Zealand and the Governor-General of New Zealand. The constitution specifies that in everyday practice, it is exercised by a Cabinet of the Premier of Niue and three other ministers. The premier and ministers must be members of the Niue Assembly, the nation's legislative assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The University of Waikato, is a public research university in Hamilton, New Zealand established in 1964. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university performs research in the disciplines of education, social sciences, and management and is an innovator in environmental science, marine and freshwater ecology, engineering and computer science. It offers degrees in health, engineering, computer science, management, Māori and Indigenous Studies, the arts, psychology, social sciences and education.
The flag of Niue was adopted on 15 October 1975. It consists of the Union Jack in the upper left corner with a star in the middle of the Union Jack and four stars forming a diamond around it. It is very unusual for a flag based on a British ensign design, in having not only a yellow background, but also a defaced (edited) Union Jack in the canton. It was designed by Patricia Rex, the wife of the then-Premier Robert Rex.
Alofi is the capital of the island nation of Niue. With a population of 597 in 2017, Alofi has the distinction of being the second smallest national capital city in terms of population. It consists of the two villages: Alofi North and Alofi South where the government headquarters are located.
The Realm of New Zealand consists of the entire area in which the monarch of New Zealand functions as head of state. The realm is not a federation; it is a collection of states and territories united under its monarch. New Zealand is an independent and sovereign state. It has one Antarctic territorial claim, one dependent territory (Tokelau), and two associated states. The Realm of New Zealand encompasses the three autonomous jurisdictions of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and Niue.
The Niue national rugby league team represents Niue in rugby league football. The team played their first match in 1986, and their first Test match in 2013.
Niue Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Niue. It was founded in 1952, and became affiliated to the World Rugby in 1999.
The Niue national soccer team is the national soccer team of Niue, controlled by the Niue Island Soccer Association. It was not a member of FIFA, although it was an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) until its membership was revoked in 2021 due to inactivity. Because it wasn't a FIFA member, the team was already ineligible to enter the World Cup even when it was still an OFC member.
The Premier of Niue is Niue's head of government. They are elected by the Niue Assembly, and forms a Cabinet consisting of themselves and three other members of the Assembly.
Fulton Adventist University College is a co-educational boarding tertiary institution situated on the western side of Viti Levu on the main island of Fiji. It is operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church and serves the island countries of Fiji, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Kiribati, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Its services are also offered to Pacific Islanders and other interested individuals living in Australia, New Zealand, and overseas.
Niue is an island in the Southern Pacific, mostly inhabited by Polynesians. The plantations are mostly filled with manioc, taro and breadfruit, but banana trees can be found. The wide range of exotic plants in Niue includes taros, pawpaw, coconuts, bananas, yams, cassavas and breadfruits: All are intensively used in the local cuisine.
Niue Hotel was a hotel in Niue, Oceania, the largest on the island. The government-owned hotel was built in 1975 in the hope of stimulating tourism. It was badly damaged in 1990, but was refurbished and expanded. However, it struggled to attract guests and in 2000 was put up for sale and leased for use as a medical school. The buildings were destroyed by a hurricane in 2004.
India–Niue relations are the bilateral relations between India and Niue.
The Paliati Grounds is the multi-use national stadium of the Pacific Island nation of Niue. The stadium has a capacity of 1,000 spectators. It is located adjacent to the Niue High School and the Niue campus of the University of the South Pacific.
The Niue National Awards is a system of orders, decorations and medals to recognise the achievements of, or service by, Niueans. It was established in 2020. Previously Niue had fallen under the New Zealand royal honours system. The awards are decided by the National Awards Committee and announced each year on Constitution Day, 19 October.