Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889 They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925
Tokelau's small size three villages, isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand -- about $4 million annually -- to maintain public services, annual aid being substantially greater than GDP The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, domain names, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts
Tokelau is in a different time zone from most of New Zealand even though it is part of it Tokelau is 10 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time UTC rather than 12 hours in front, meaning a 22 hour time difference Tokelau is in the same time zone as the Cook Islands and Hawaii
Tropical; moderated by trade winds April to November
The average temperature is about 28 degrees C annually Rainfall is irregular but heavy There are downpours of up to 80 mm in a single day which are possible anytime Tokelau is at the north edge of the main hurricane belt, but tropical storms sometimes sweep through between November and March Since 1846, Tokelau had only experienced three recorded hurricanes Then in February 1990, waves from Hurricane Ofa broke across the atolls, washing topsoil away and contaminating the freshwater lens Residual salt prevented new plat growth for months Hurricane Val in 1992 and Hurricane Percy in 2005 did additional damage The recent increase in such storms seems related to global warming
Tokelau consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three metres above sea level
Tokelauan, a Polynesian language closely related to Samoan and Tuvaluan, is the native language, and most people can speak and understand English
Interesting Fact:The name Tokelau is a Polynesian word meaning "north wind"
Sports, especially football, are the main entertaining activity in Togo You can watch the football soccer league games played in the weekends check listings Apart from football, there are several night clubs that can keep you awake at night, and the capital is full of them; the Chess BSBG is among the most popular TV programs are not the best in the world, with movies and sitcoms that have been played for years Plus, the beach offers another type of fun Many activities and parties are organized there, with people coming from all over Lomé to enjoy the beautiful weather in the weekends Despite those great things at the beach, you really have to choose a good spot, to avoid stepping or sitting on the unwanted
The New Zealand dollar is used Some Tokelauan-branded dollars have been produced but are hard to find
The Luana Liki Hotel in Nukunonu is the only public eating place which is in the only hotel If you are staying at the Luana Liki, you will get three meals per day included in the price
Samoan beer is available in shops and at the Luana Like Hotel, but sale is strictly rationed in Nukunonu
The legal drinking age is 18
The Luana Liki Hotel in Nukunonu is Tokelau's only commercial accommodation Homestays may be arranged in advanced through the Tokelau-Apia Liaison Office in Samoa
