The lower level is a coastal terrace approximately 0.5 km (0.3 miles) wide and about 25–27 metres (80–90 feet) high, which slopes down and meets the sea in small cliffs.

After many years of trying to land a European missionary, they abducted a Niuean named Nukai Peniamina and trained him as a pastor at the Malua Theological College in Samoa.

A despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies from the Governor of New Zealand referred to the views expressed by the Chiefs in favour of "annexation" and to this document as "the deed of cession".

In January 2004, Cyclone Heta hit Niue, killing one person and causing extensive damage to the entire island, including wiping out most of the south of the capital, Alofi.

The terrain consists of steep limestone cliffs along the coast with a central plateau rising to about 60 metres (200 ft) above sea level.

It is thought that similar radioactive soils may exist on Lifou and Mare near New Caledonia, and Rennell in the Solomon Islands, but no other locations are known.

In 2023, the governments of Niue and other island states at risk from climate change (Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga and Vanuatu) launched the "Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific", calling for the phasing out of fossil fuels; a "rapid and just transition" to renewable energy; and a strengthening of environmental law, including introducing the crime of ecocide.

Enforcement would depend on stronger support from the New Zealand Defence Forces, though its ability to maintain a continuous presence was limited.

Niue has operated as a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand since 3 September 1974, when the people endorsed the Constitution in a plebiscite.

[86] In 2004, the New Zealand government allocated $1 million for the private sector,[87] and spent it on helping businesses devastated by the cyclone, and on construction of the Fonuakula Industrial Park.

The Fonuakula Industrial Park is managed by the Niue Chamber of Commerce, a not-for-profit organisation providing advisory services to businesses.

[citation needed] The government and the Reef Group from New Zealand started two joint ventures in 2003 and 2004 to develop fisheries and a 120-hectare (300 acre) noni juice operation.

The Office of the Chief Trade Adviser (OCTA) has been set up to assist Niue and other Pacific countries in the negotiation of the PACERPlus.

In August 2005, an Australian mining company, Yamarna Goldfields, suggested that Niue might have the world's largest deposit of uranium.

By early September these hopes were seen as overoptimistic,[90] and in late October the company cancelled its plans, announcing that exploratory drilling had identified nothing of commercial value.

[91] The Australian Securities and Investments Commission filed charges in January 2007 against two directors of the company, now called Mining Projects Group Ltd, alleging that their conduct had been deceptive and that they engaged in insider trading.

[94] The government plans to spend money saved from servicing loans on increasing pensions and offering incentives to lure expatriates back home.

Premier Toke Talagi said Niue managed to pay off US$4 million of debt and had "no interest" in borrowing again, particularly from huge powers such as China.

Continuous migration to New Zealand has shifted most members of nuclear and extended families there, removing the need to send remittances back home.

In the late 1990s, PFTAC conducted studies on the balance of payments,[95] which confirmed that Niueans are receiving few remittances but are sending more money overseas.

Under pressure from the US Treasury, Niue agreed to end its support for schemes designed to minimise tax in countries like New Zealand.

According to a letter to ICANN in 2007, IUS-N's auditors reported an investment of US$3 million in Niue's Internet services between 1999 and 2005, funded by domain registration revenue.

On December 16, 2020, the Government of Niue initiated proceedings to reassign control of its national webspace, .nu, from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to itself.

This action reflects ongoing efforts by Niue to assert control over its digital assets amid concerns about national sovereignty and economic benefits associated with the .nu domain.

Most families grow their own food crops for subsistence and sell their surplus at the Niue Makete in Alofi, or export to New Zealand.

Niue is trying to attract foreign investors to invest in the tourism industry by offering import and company tax concessions as incentives.

The selection of the Matavai contractor was made by the Niue Tourism Property Trust, whose trustees are appointed by New Zealand Foreign Affairs minister Murray McCully.

Prime Minister John Key said he did not handle campaign donations, and that Niue premier Toke Talagi has long pursued tourism as a growth strategy.

[120][121] Niue was also a location of tests for the OpenBTS project, which aims to deliver low-cost GSM base stations built with open source software.

Rugby union is the most popular sport, played by both men and women; Niue was the 2008 FORU Oceania Cup champions.