Time in New Zealand, by law, is divided into two standard time zones. The main islands use New Zealand Standard Time (NZST), 12 hours in advance of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) / military M (Mike), while the outlying Chatham Islands use Chatham Standard Time (CHAST), 12 hours 45 minutes in advance of UTC / military M^ (Mike-Three).
The politics of Tokelau takes place within a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency. The head of state of Tokelau is Queen Elizabeth II in right of her Realm of New Zealand, who is represented by an Administrator. The monarch is hereditary, the Administrator is appointed by the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Realm of New Zealand is the entire area in which the Queen of New Zealand is head of state. The Realm of New Zealand 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, the Ross Dependency; one dependent territory, Tokelau; and two associated states, the Cook Islands and Niue.
The Tokelau national rugby league team represents Tokelau in rugby league football and first participated in international competition in 1986.
UTC+13:00 is an identifier for a +13 hour time offset from UTC.
Scouts New Zealand, officially "The Scout Association of New Zealand" is the national Scouting association in New Zealand and an affiliate of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) since 1953. The Scout Association of New Zealand uses the name SCOUTS New Zealand. Scouts New Zealand has 15,476 members, with 4,740 volunteers.
The Chief Justice of New Zealand is the head of the New Zealand judiciary, and presides over the Supreme Court of New Zealand. The Chief Justice of New Zealand is also the Chief Justice of Tokelau. Before the establishment of the Supreme Court in 2004 the Chief Justice was the presiding judge in the High Court of New Zealand, and was also ex officio a member of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand. The office is established by the Judicature Act 1908.
The Tokelau self-determination referendum of 2006, supervised by the United Nations, was held from February 11 to February 15, 2006. The defeated proposal would have changed Tokelau's status from an unincorporated New Zealand territory to a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, akin to the Cook Islands and Niue.
The office of head of government of Tokelau (Ulu-o-Tokelau), often simply called the Ulu, rotates yearly between the faipule (leaders) of Tokelau's three atolls - Atafu, Fakaofo, and Nukunonu. The current Ulu is Afega Gaualofa, the Faipule of Fakaofo atoll, who has held the position since March 2018.
The Administrator of Tokelau is an official of the New Zealand Government, responsible for supervising the government of the dependent territory of Tokelau.
As Tokelau is a dependent territory of New Zealand, the flag of New Zealand has been used as the official flag for Tokelau. However, in May 2008 the local parliament, the General Fono, approved a distinctive flag and national emblem for Tokelau. This flag has not yet been widely used for official purposes, but an official launch of the new flag was planned for October 2009. The Governor-General presented the flag to the Ulu-o-Tokelau as Tokelau's first official flag on 7 September 2009.
Rugby league is played in Tokelau and by Tokelaun ex-pats in New Zealand. A domestic competition has been established and a representative team has begun to play internationals against other Pacific teams.
The Seal of Niue, or the Public Seal of Niue, is the official seal of Niue. It was created in 1974 when Niue gained independence and joined into free association with New Zealand.
The national badge of Tokelau depicts a tuluma, which is a traditional Tokelauan carved wooden “tackle box” used by local fishermen. A white cross in the centre of the tuluma and the inscription below Tokelau mo te Atua reflect the strong influence of Christianity in Tokelau.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tokelau:
Foua Toloa was a Tokelauan politician who served as the Head of the Government of Tokelau, or Ulu, from 21 February 2009, to 21 February 2010. He was a member of the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, and was a faipule on Fakaofo. As the office of Ulu rotates on an annual basis, Toloa resumed office on 21 February 2011. For a time in 2011-2012, he was also Tokelau's minister for Finance, Telecommunication, Energy and Transport. He died in California in 2015.
Tokelau has two official languages: Tokelauan and English. Over 90% of the population speaks Tokelauan, and just under 60% speak English. Also, 45.8% of the population speak Samoan, and small percentages of the population speak Tuvaluan and Kiribati.
The vast majority of people in Tokelau are Christians and Christianity plays a significant role in the Tokelauan way of life.
Smoking in Tokelau is prevalent, with ethnic Tokelauans having the highest smoking prevalence of all Pacific ethnicities. In the 2011 Tokelau Census, 47.8% of people aged over 15 were found to be regular cigarette smokers.
