Alofi
Encyclopedia
Alofi is the capital city
of the Pacific Ocean
nation of Niue
. With a population of 581 (census
of 2006), Alofi has the distinction of being the smallest national capital city in terms of population. It consists of the two villages Alofi North (pop. 147) and Alofi South, where the government headquarters are located. (pop. 434).
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.
under the Koppen climate classification
, with no discernable dry season
. The city has a noticeably drier stretch from June through September. However, all of these months average more than 60 mm of rain, the limit for a dry season month. Like other cities with this climate, average temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year, with temperatures averaging around 25 degrees Celsius throughout the year.
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
nation of Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
. With a population of 581 (census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2006), Alofi has the distinction of being the smallest national capital city in terms of population. It consists of the two villages Alofi North (pop. 147) and Alofi South, where the government headquarters are located. (pop. 434).
Geography
It is located at the centre of Alofi BayAlofi Bay
Alofi Bay is the northern of the two large bays which make up most of the west coast of the island of Niue, the other being Avatele Bay south of it...
on the west coast of the island, close to the only break in the coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
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 inland from the west coast, named Fonuakula, after the storm. This site is still within the village boundaries of Alofi South.Climate
Alofi features a tropical rainforest climateTropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
under the Koppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, with no discernable dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
. The city has a noticeably drier stretch from June through September. However, all of these months average more than 60 mm of rain, the limit for a dry season month. Like other cities with this climate, average temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year, with temperatures averaging around 25 degrees Celsius throughout the year.