Alofi is the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of the Pacific Ocean island nation of

Niue Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between T ...

. With a population of 597 in 2017, Alofi has the distinction of being the second smallest national capital city in terms of population (after Ngerulmud, capital of

Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the ...

). It consists of the two villages: Alofi North and Alofi South where the government headquarters are located. SPC 2008, p.4.

History

In January 2004, Niue was hit by the fierce tropical storm Cyclone Heta which killed two people and did extensive damage to the entire island. Many of Alofi's buildings were destroyed, including the hospital. Government buildings were shifted to a less exposed site inland from the west coast, named Fonuakula, after the storm. East-West Center This site is still within the village boundaries of Alofi South.

Geography

Overview

It is located at the centre of Alofi Bay on the west coast of the island, close to the only break in the

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of Colony (biology), colonies of coral polyp (zoology), polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, wh ...

that surrounds Niue. The bay stretches for 30% of the island's length (about seven kilometres) from Halagigie Point in the south to Makapu Point in the north. The council's territory borders with Avatele, Hakupu, Lakepa, Liku,

Makefu Makefu is one of the fourteen villages of Niue. Its population at the 2017 census was 70, up from 64 in 2011. The village was established by villagers from Tuapa Tuapa is one of the fourteen villages of Niue. Its population at the 2017 census was ...

, Mutalau, Tamakautoga and

Tuapa Tuapa is one of the fourteen villages of Niue. Its population at the 2017 census was 112, up from 97 in 2011. Villagers from Tuapa established the villages of Makefu, Hikutavake, and Namukulu Namukulu is one of the fourteen villages of Niue. Wit ...

Climate

Alofi features a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southe ...

under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

, with no discernible

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The ...

. The city has a noticeably drier stretch from June through September. However, all of these months average more than of rain, the limit for a dry season month. Average temperatures vary slightly throughout the course of the year in Alofi hovering at around , during the warmest month (February) and at around during the coolest months (July and August) .

Transport

The town is serviced by Niue International Airport, and there are numerous roads, both paved and dirt, that crisscross the town. The island's main seaport is Sir Roberts Wharf. It is located at , close to the centre of Alofi, within 200 metres of the capital's post office and just to the north of the Chamber of Commerce building. It is a small wharf, capable – due to the island's topography — of only handling smaller flat-bottomed boats. Larger cargo vessels and fishing boats moor near the reef, and barges are used to offload cargo. Major strengthening, extension work, and renovations to the wharf were commissioned in 2020, after cyclone damage earlier in the year.

Personalities

* Dalton Tagelagi (b. 1968), politician *

Sam Pata Emani Tagelagi Sam Pata Emani Tagelagi (29 December 1935 – 10 September 2011) was a Niuean politician and elder. Tagelagi served as the first Speaker of the Niue Assembly from 1976 to 1993. Biography From 1958 until 1963, Tagelagi worked as an employee of th ...

(1935–2011), politician

References

Notes

Sources

* * * *

External links

History of Niue

Cyclone aftermath pictures
{{Authority control Capitals in Oceania Populated places in Niue