What do you know about Tokelau? Most people on Earth even don’t know the name of this dwarf country at all. Tokelau is a small group of atolls in the Pacific Ocean, inhabited by a small group of people. Their life is very simple and measured, it doesn’t change over the years. Time has stood still here, and it seems that the inhabitants of this small state are completely satisfied.
Top facts about Tokelau
- It is one of the smallest countries in the world, and the local total population is about one and a half thousand people only. Pretty impressive! 🙂
- There is nothing produced in Tokelau, everything that is on the Islands is brought here from New Zealand. The only thing the locals do on their own is fishing. Sometimes.
- In fact, Tokelau is ruled by the government of New Zealand and the local people had New Zealand passports. The whole country exists at the expense of New Zealand’s support.
- You can get to Tokelau only on a cargo ship as planes don’t fly there. The only way is to sail a ship that comes here from Samoa several times a month. A one-way trip will take about three days.
- It’s impossible to visit Tokelau without prior authorization. In addition to the papers, you will have to negotiate with the local elders, if you want to stay on the Islands for at least one night.
- All the electricity available here is generated by solar panels. It is the only country in the world where 100% of the electricity consumed comes from the sun. And that’s really great for the ecology!
- Selling souvenir coins, postage stamps and national domains in the .tk zone brings a significant share of the budget of Tokelau.
- The name of the country is translated from the local language as “Northwind”.
- The official head of Tokelau is the Queen of Great Britain.
- Prior to the transition to solar power, all power consumed here in Tokelau was generated by diesel generators. Fuel and maintenance costs were in the order of a million NZ dollars annually.