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Wow!nI thought to myself. I wonder where the heck Niue is. I’ve nevernheard of it!
Wow!nI thought to myself. I wonder where the heck Niue is. I’ve nevernheard of it!n
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nInwas picturing a nice little island nation in the South Pacific with anbeautiful brown islander queen who was born on June 4, some year innthe past.
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nWell…yesnand no. Niue is an island, and it is in the SouthnPacific. It’s sorta / kinda a nation—it is self-governing—but itnis in “free association” with New Zealand and lacks “full sovereignty.”
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| Niue is the teensy speck inside the blue square. |
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nAndnits queen is no other than the pale-skinned royal who is also queen of Britain, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand,namong other nations: Queen Elizabeth II.
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nBut—waitna minute!—Elizabeth II’s birthday is April 21!
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nFornsome reason, the countries of the Commonwealth all celebrate hernbirthday on different dates. New Zealand celebrates on the firstnMonday in June, and other countries celebrate it on other dates innMay, June, September, or October. Niue, being associated with NewnZealand, celebrates the queen’s birthday on the same date.
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nApparently,nthe idea of having an official birthday that is different than thenactual anniversary of one’s birth started with Elizabeth II’sngreat-grandfather, Edward VII. He didn’t like to have his birthday innchilly November, so he decreed that it would be celebrated in anwarmer, sunnier month. Elizabeth II has no such excuse, in mynmind—late April is usually a lovely time of the year!—butntradition is tradition, and she has various official birthdays as well as the sort of birthday we all have.
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nWhatnmakes Niue special?
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nAsnof the year 2003, Niue became the first “WiFi nation.” Freenwireless Internet access is provided all over the country!
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nExplorernJames Cook called Niue “Savage Island” because the inhabitantsnlooked bloody, like they ate humans—but it turned out that the rednsubstance on their teeth was a kind of red banana. Still, for 200nyears or so, the island was stuck with “Savage Island.” Finallynthe original name, Niue, began to be used again. This namenmeans “behold the coconut”!
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Niuenis one of the world’s largest coral islands. There are a lot ofnlimestone caves close to the coast, and the unusual soil (made fromnextremely weathered coral) has higher-than-normal levels of mercurynand natural radioactivity. However, apparently these levels are stillnsafe for plants and animals.
Niuenis one of the world’s largest coral islands. There are a lot ofnlimestone caves close to the coast, and the unusual soil (made fromnextremely weathered coral) has higher-than-normal levels of mercurynand natural radioactivity. However, apparently these levels are stillnsafe for plants and animals.n
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversary of Henry Ford’s first test drive
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nAnniversary of the great auk going extinct
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