Alofi, Niue

This article is about the capital villages of Niue. For the island, part of Wallis and Futuna, see Alofi Island.

Alofi is the capital of the Pacific Ocean island nation of Niue, which is located within the Realm of New Zealand. With a population of 1,611 (census of 2011), Alofi has the distinction of being the second smallest national capital city in terms of population (after Ngerulmud, capital of Palau). It consists of the two villages: Alofi North and Alofi South where the government headquarters are located.

Geography

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 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. It is also notable that Alofi contains the world's largest toothbrush fence.

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 3 km (1.9 mi) inland from the west coast, named Fonuakula, after the storm. This site is still within the village boundaries of Alofi South.

Climate

Alofi
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     260     28 23     250     29 24     300     28 24     200     27 23     130     26 22     80     26 21     90     25 20     100     25 20     100     26 21     120     26 21     140     27 22     190     28 23 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: Weatherbase
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     10     82 73     9.8     84 75     12     82 75     7.9     81 73     5.1     79 72     3.1     79 70     3.5     77 68     3.9     77 68     3.9     79 70     4.7     79 70     5.5     81 72     7.5     82 73 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Alofi features a tropical rainforest climate under the Köppen climate classification, with no discernible dry season. The city has a noticeably drier stretch from June through September. However, all of these months average more than 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain, the limit for a dry season month. Like other cities with this climate, average temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year, at 25 °C (77 °F).

Transport

The town is serviced by Niue International Airport, and there are numerous roads, both paved and dirt, that crisscross the town.

External links

• History of Niue
• Cyclone aftermath pictures