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Niue: Island
built 657 days ago
The first European to sight Niue was Captain James Cook in 1774. Cook made three attempts to land on the island but was refused permission to do so by the Polynesian inhabitants. He named the island "Savage Island" because, legend has it, the natives that "greeted" him were painted in what appeared to Cook and his crew to be blood. However, the substance on their teeth was that of the red banana and not blood.
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Niue is an island formed of albatross droppings in the southern Pacifist Ocean. It is mainly known for its recent victory in the Ugliest National Flag of the World competition. Niue is not a member of the United Nations, fearing that it would have to learn to read and write after becoming a member. Niue has sponsored many (2) illiteracy campaigns around the world (in Niue and on an adjacent coral reef).
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Niue is an island of a tropical climate located in the southern Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga. It is one of world's largest coral islands. The terrain of Niue consists of steep limestone cliffs along the coast with a central plateau. Most rainfall occurs between November and April.
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Niue is unique in many ways. It is a raised coral platform, with high and dramatic cliffs plunging into the Pacific Ocean. Although it does have a few small beaches, it is really quite different from the typical South Sea atolls and islands with just sand and palm trees. Niue has extensive caves, colorful rock pools, dense and lush forests and - in the absence of any rivers - crystal clear warm waters surrounding the coastline.
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The landmass of Niue is 259 sq. km, and 13 villages are found along Niue's 67-km circle island road. The whole island is two tiered but is dotted with a myriad of caves that have yet to be discovered. Shaped like a saucer and rising only 65 meters above sea level, Niue is without streams or rivers, and therefore after rain the water filters through the porous coral out into the ocean completely devoid of any silt run-off. This allows the surrounding sea to be crystal clear with dive visibility often up to 70 meters.
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Archaeological surveys in 1974 showed that Niue was settled approximately AD 900 by Samoans. Tradition recalls a second group, a war party from Tonga, that arrived sometime in the 16th century. Captain James Cook landed on Niue in 1774 and, because of hostility from the Niueans, named it Savage Island.
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