Treaty of Tokehega

The Treaty of Tokehega is a 1980 treaty between New Zealand and the United States that delineates the maritime boundary between Tokelau and American Samoa.^[1]

The treaty was signed in Atafu on 2 December 1980. It specifies the ownership of certain islands and creates a boundary of seven straight-line maritime segments defined by eight individual coordinate points. The treaty was signed shortly after the United States resolved its boundary dispute with the Cook Islands by agreeing to the Cook Islands – United States Maritime Boundary Treaty.

The treaty states that the United States has sovereignty over the Swains Island. This island, known to many in Tokelau as Olohega, gives its name to the second half, "hega," of the treaty's name. The first half, "Toke," comes from Tokelau.

The treaty came into effect on 3 September 1983 after it was ratified by both states.

Notes

References

• Anderson, Ewan W. (2003). International Boundaries: A Geopolitical Atlas. Routledge: New York. ISBN 9781579583750; OCLC 54061586