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Niue's remoteness,
as well as cultural and linguistic differences
between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of
the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to
be separately administered. The population of
the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200
in 1966 to about 2,100 in 2004), with substantial
emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.
European
involvement in Niue began in 1774 with Captain
James Cook's sighting (landing was refused) of
what he named "Savage Island". Legend
has it that Cook so named the island because the
natives that "greeted" him were painted
in what appeared to Cook and his crew to be blood.
The next
major arrival was the London Missionary Society
in 1846. Briefly a protectorate, the UK's involvement
was passed on in 1901 when New Zealand annexed
the island. Independence in the form of self-government
was granted by the New Zealand parliament in the
1974 constitution.
In January
of 2004, Niue was hit by the fierce tropical storm
Cyclone Heta which killed two people and caused
extensive damage to the entire island.
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