Tokelau: Political System
The official name of the country is:
| Tokelau |
According to topschoolsintheusa, Tokelau is a dependent area, a dependency, of New Zealand. Tokelau is administered by the New Zealand Secretary of State in Wellington.
The Tokelau Apia Liason Office (TALO), an administrative apparatus in Apia, Samoa, supports them in their work. Tokelau is on the way to independence and therefore the form of government is changing. Since July 1, 2004 the government has been structured as follows:
Each of the three atolls has a council of elders (Taupulega) of six members. These 3 times 6 members form General Fono, the parliament of the islands, with 18 members.
On the three islands themselves this is represented by the “lazy people”, who are elected for three years on the individual islands. The island representatives are preceded by a joint superordinate representation, the “Pulenuku”, which is also elected for three years.
Parliament meets three to four times a year for three to four days. It meets on the island of Faipule, who holds the presidency of parliament for a year. The post of chairman rotates among the three lazy men.
When parliament is not in session, Tokelau is governed by the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau. This represents the executive branch. The council consists of three Faipule and three Pulenuku.
The Tokelau people are citizens of New Zealand. In February 2006, 600 Tokelaus eligible voters voted to maintain dependence on New Zealand. Otherwise, it was feared that New Zealand would no longer maintain the support services after the island state gained independence. New Zealand currently finances around 80% of the Tokelau budget. In addition, around four times as many Tokelauers live in New Zealand as in Tokelau itself.
National anthem
Based on flag descriptions by Countryaah.com, the national anthem of Tokelau is that of Great Britain and therefore also that of New Zealand.
- Check top-mba-universities for public holidays, sports events, UNESCO world heritage sites and major places to visit in Tokelau.
It reads: “God save the Queen”
In English
| 1st stanzaGod save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen: Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: God save the Queen. 2nd stanza O Lord, our God, arise, Scatter her enemies, And make them fall. Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks, On Thee our hopes we fix: God save the Queen. 3rd stanza Thy choicest gifts in store, on her be pleased to pour; Long may she reign: May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause To sing with heart and voice God save the Queen 1). |
And in the English translation
| 1st stanzaGod, protect our gracious queen,
Long live our noble queen, God, protect the queen! Send her victory, happiness and glory, That she may rule over us long! God Save the Queen! 2nd stanza O Lord our God, help her, Scatter her enemies, And let her perish; Confuse their (the enemy’s) policy, Thwart their scoundrels! We place our hopes on you. God Save the Queen! 3rd stanza shower her with your choicest gifts , to please you, That she reign for a long time, That she enforce justice And always give us reason to sing loudly and from the heart: God protect the queen! |
1) Depending on whether the monarchy is led by a king or a queen, in addition to Queen/King and her/his, the last two lines of the third stanza change to:
“With heart and voice to sing
God save the King.”
The last three of the original six stanzas counting anthem are not sung today, if only because the line
“And like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.”
And like a torrent,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
| 4th stanzaNot in this land alone,
But be God’s mercies known, From shore to shore! Lord make the nations see, That men should be brothers, And form one family, The wide world o’er. 5th verse From every latent foe, From the assassins blow, God save the Queen! O’er her thine arm extend, For Britain’s sake defend, Our mother, prince, and friend, God save the Queen! 6th stanza Lord grant that Marshall Wade May bring by thy mighty aid Victory. May he sedition hush, And like a torrent rush, Rebellious Scots to crush. God save the Queen! |
English translation
| 4th stanzaNot only in this country
be known God’s grace, but on all coasts! Lord, make the peoples realize that men should be brothers And be one family, All over the world. 5th verse Before every hidden enemy, Before the attack of the murderer, God, protect the queen! Hold your hand over her, For Britain’s sake, defend our mother, prince and friend, God protect the queen! 6th stanza God, grant that George Wade, your mighty help, may return home victorious! May he silence the riot And break loose like a raging torrent To bring down rebellious bulkheads! God Save the Queen! |
Tokelau: Well-known people
Samuel Sakaria
A contemporary painter
Te Vaka, in German: the canoe
The group combines traditional with modern music. Their performances are accompanied by dance performances that also combine tradition and modernity.
