Editing Niue (section)

===Modern period===
[[File:Niue2022OSM.png|thumb|250px|Detailed map of Niue]]

[[Niue International Airport]] was established in 1970 and opened to commercial flight passengers in November 1971.

The [[New Zealand Parliament]] restored self-government in Niue with the 1974 [[Niue Constitution Act 1974 (NZ)|Niue Constitution Act]], following the [[1974 Niuean constitutional referendum]] in which Niueans had three options: independence, self-government, or continuation as a New Zealand territory. The majority selected self-government, and Niue's written constitution<ref>
{{cite web
|url= http://www.paclii.org/nu/legis/num_act/ca1974188/index.html 
|title= Constitution Act 1974 |publisher= Paclii.org 
|access-date= 20 November 2012
}}
</ref>
was promulgated as supreme law. [[Robert Rex]], ethnically part European, part native, was elected by the [[Niue Assembly]] as the first [[Premier of Niue]], a position he held until his death 18 years later. In 1984, Rex became the first Niuean to receive a knighthood.

In January 2004, [[Cyclone Heta]] hit Niue, killing one person and causing extensive damage to the entire island, including wiping out most of the south of the capital, Alofi.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/146866/niue-mourns-the-death-of-a-young-woman |title=Niue mourns the death of a young woman |date=2004-01-08 |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=[[Radio New Zealand]]}}</ref>

On 7 March 2020, the [[International Dark-Sky Association]] announced that Niue had become the first entire country to be designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary.<ref>
{{cite web 
|url= https://www.darksky.org/niue-is-worlds-first-country-to-become-a-dark-sky-place/
|title= Niue is World's First Country to Become a Dark Sky Place |date= 7 March 2020 |publisher= International Dark Sky Association
|access-date= 9 March 2020
}}
</ref> On 29 September 2022, President [[Joe Biden]] announced that the United States would recognise Niue as a sovereign nation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-29 |title=Remarks by President Biden at the U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/09/29/remarks-by-president-biden-at-the-u-s-pacific-island-country-summit/ |access-date=2022-10-02 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref> On 25 September 2023, recognition was declared by President Biden and diplomatic relations were established.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/365589|title=Statement on the Recognition of Niue and the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations|date=25 September 2023|publisher=The American Presidency Project|access-date=25 September 2023}}</ref>