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I. GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Location and Area The Tokelau Islands consist of four atoll islands, Fakaofo, Nukunono, Atafu, and Olosega or Swain's Island. The last named was annexed to American Samoa in 1925. Fakaofo, Nukunono, and Atafu, which are governed by New Zealand, are situated between latitude 8° and 10° south and longitude 171° and 173° west. The distance from Apia to Fakaofo is about 270 miles, that from Fakaofo to Nukunono is about 40 miles, and from Nukunono to Atafu about 57 miles. Each atoll consists of a number of small coral islets round the lagoon, varying in length from 100 yards to 4 miles, but all are fairly uniform as to width—viz., 100 to 400 yards—and, with one or two exceptions, all are approximately from 8 ft. to 10 ft. high. The size of each atoll is approximately as under:—

The largest islet in the Group is on the east of the atoll of Nukunono; it is 4 miles long and 300 yards wide. 2. Population The following are the figures from the last census taken in September, 1945:

The clerk on each island keeps a roll in which are included those absent oil other islands, and as the last census figures show that, 153 Tokelau Islanders were absent in Samoa, mostly to attend the London Missionary Society and Catholic schools and, to a lesser degree, to seek employment, the total number of this small branch of the Polynesian people in 1945 was 1,526. Births and deaths since that date bring the total as at 31st March, 1949, to 1,616. A count of the Islanders in March, 1949, showed 1,434 living in the Group at that time. From accounts of early missionaries it is apparent that the numbers of inhabitants were severely reduced by the depredations of the South American, and particularly Peruvian, " blackbirders " who operated in the Group probably

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Island. Land Area. Length North to South. Width East to West. Circumference. Number of Islets. """ Acres. Miles. Miles. Miles. Fakaofo 650 H 5 16 61 Nukunono 1,350 7 6| 24 22 Atafu 500 1 3 8 19

— Males. Females. Hamoans. Total. Fakaofo 268 297 5 570 Nukunono 195 169 3 367 Atafu 202 242 7 451 Total 1,388 Less Samoans 15 Tokelau Islanders 1,373