| Niue probably was
first settled more than 1000 years ago by Tongans and Samoans. In 1774 British
explorer James Cook became the first European to visit the island, which
he named Savage Island for the hostile reception he received. In the mid-19th
century, missionaries of the London Missionary Society converted the islanders
to Christianity. Niueans petitioned Queen Victoria three times to place
their island under the protection of the British Crown; they were successful
in 1900. The following year, Niue was annexed by New Zealand as part of
the Cook Islands. In 1904 it became a separate colony with its own administration.
In preparation for self-government, the Legislative Assembly was established
in 1960. On October 19, 1974, Niue became self-governing in free association
with New Zealand. |