Tokelau, known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands, is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: (Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo). They have a combined land area of 10 km2. The capital rotates yearly among the three atolls. In addition to these three, Swains Island, which forms part of the same archipelago, is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute; it is currently administered by the United States as part of American Samoa. Tokelau lies north of the Samoan Islands, east of Tuvalu, south of the Phoenix Islands, southwest of the more distant Line Islands, and northwest of the Cook Islands.
Tokelau has a population of approximately 1,500 people; it has the fourth-smallest population of any sovereign state or dependency on the world.
The country uses the New Zealand dollar for its currency, but also issues non-circulating coinage for collectors. |