Tokelau: The Islands of Te Vaka's Polynesian Music

A half-penny stamp from the Tokelau Islands

A penny stamp from Tokelau

A tupenny stamp from the island of Tokelau

Tokelau is located between 8 and 10 degrees South latitude and 171 and 173 degrees West longitude in the Pacific Ocean. The total land area is only 10 sq km but the coastline is about 101km. Local time is 11 hour behind GMT.

It consists of three atolls, Atafu, Fakaofo, and Nukunonu the largest of the three. Each atoll consists of a number of reef-bound islets encircling a lagoon.

Map of Tokelau

Tokelau is a non self-governing territory under the administration of New Zealand. Each of the three atolls has its own administrative centre.

The climate is tropical moderated by southeast trade winds from April to November. The average temperature is 28 degrees Celsius, with July the coolest month and May the warmest.

The People

The population of Tokelau at last census (1996) was 1,507. The people are Polynesians and religion is Christianity, Congregational 70% , Catholic 28% and others. Most of the people on Atafu belong to the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa. The majority of the people on Nukunonu are Catholic. Fakaofo has both denominations. The languages are Tokelauan (similar to Samoan) and English. Te Vaka's lyrics are almost all in Tokelauan.

The Economy

The economy of Tokelau is dependent on aid from New Zealand. Small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly hinder economic development and confine agriculture to subsistence level. The principal sources of income are from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins and handicrafts.

The atoll of Atafu - one of the 3 islands of Tokelau

Te Vaka has captured the sounds of Tokelau through its lyrics and rhythmic music. Enjoy the beat of the log drums and chants from the Pacific...
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Tokelau

Opetaia visits Samoa and Tokelau - awesome new photographs to view click here!