Niue is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,400
kilometres (1,500 mi) northeast of New Zealand
within the triangle formed by Tonga
to the west, Samoa to the north, and the Cook Islands
to the east. Its land area is 260 square kilometres (100 sq mi) and its
population, predominantly Polynesian, is around 1,400. They commonly refer to
the island as "The Rock", a reference to the traditional name
"Rock of Polynesia". Niue, whose capital is the village
of Alofi , is a self-governing state in
free association with New Zealand ,
and New Zealand
conducts most of its diplomatic relations on its behalf. Niueans are New Zealand
citizens, and Queen Elizabeth II is head of state in her capacity as Queen of
New Zealand. 90 to 95 percent of Niuean people live in New Zealand , along with about 70% of the speakers of the
Niuean language.
