| Background: |
The archipelago
of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a
Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional
monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga
acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the
Pacific. |
| Location: |
Oceania,
archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of
the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
20 00 S, 175 00 W |
| Area: |
total:
748 sq km
land: 718 sq km
water: 30 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
four times the
size of Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental
shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical;
modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool
season (May to December) |
| Terrain: |
most islands have
limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others
have limestone overlying volcanic base |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island
1,033 m |
| Natural
resources: |
fish, fertile
soil |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
24%
permanent crops: 43%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 16% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
cyclones (October
to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation
results as more and more land is being cleared for
agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from
starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors;
overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
archipelago of
170 islands (36 inhabited) |
| Population: |
104,227 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
40.93% (male 21,739; female 20,916)
15-64 years: 54.99% (male 28,231; female
29,082)
65 years and over: 4.08% (male 1,912; female
2,347) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.79% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
23.59
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
5.74 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
14.08
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 68.25 years
male: 65.83 years
female: 70.78 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Tongan(s)
adjective: Tongan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Polynesian,
Europeans about 300 |
| Religions: |
Christian (Free
Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents) |
| Languages: |
Tongan, English |
| Literacy: |
definition:
can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 98.5%
male: 98.4%
female: 98.7% (1996 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga
former: Friendly Islands |
| Government
type: |
hereditary
constitutional monarchy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
3 island groups;
Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u |
| Independence: |
4 June 1970 (from
UK protectorate) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day,
4 June (1970) |
| Constitution: |
4 November 1875,
revised 1 January 1967 |
| Legal
system: |
based on English
law |
| Suffrage: |
21 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December
1965)
head of government: Prime Minister Prince
Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since NA February 2000) and Deputy
Prime Minister Tevita TOPOU (since NA January 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
note: there is also a Privy Council that
consists of the monarch and the Cabinet
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed for life
by the monarch |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12 reserved
for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles
selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by
popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held NA March 1999 (next to be
held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote -
pro-democratic 40%; seats - pro-democratic 5, traditionalist
4 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal
(consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the
chief justice of the Supreme Court) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Human Rights and
Democracy Movement [Huliki WATAB, chairman, Viliami FUKOFUKA,
president, 'Akilisi POHIVA, vice president] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Pro-Democracy and
Human Rights Movement [leader NA] |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, AsDB, C,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
Tonga does not
have an embassy in the US; Ambassador Fetu'utolo TUPOU,
resides in London; address: Embassy of the Kingdom of Tonga,
c/o Tonga High Commission, 36 Molyneux Street, London W1H
6AB, telephone [44] (171) 724-5828, FAX [44] (171) 723-9074
consulate(s) general: San Francisco |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
the US does not
have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is
accredited to Tonga |
| Flag
description: |
red with a bold
red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side
corner |
| Economy
- overview: |
Tonga has a
small, open economy with a narrow export base in
agricultural goods, which contributes 30% to GDP. Squash,
coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and
agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports.
The country must import a high proportion of its food,
mainly from New Zealand. The industrial sector accounts for
only 10% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard
currency earnings. The country remains dependent on sizable
external aid and remittances from Tongan communities
overseas to offset its trade deficit. The government is
emphasizing the development of the private sector,
especially the encouragement of investment, and is
committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga
has a reasonable basic infrastructure and well-developed
social services. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $225 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $2,200 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
30%
industry: 10%
services: 60% (1997) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
7% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
34,000 (FY96/97) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 65%
(1997 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
13.3% (FY96/97) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$49 million
expenditures: $120 million, including capital
expenditures of $75 million (FY96/97 est.) |
| Industries: |
tourism, fishing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
8.6% (FY98/99) |
| Electricity
- production: |
35 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
32.6 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
squash, coconuts,
copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black
pepper; fish |
| Exports: |
$8 million
(f.o.b., 1998) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
squash, fish,
vanilla beans |
| Exports
- partners: |
Japan 53%, US
18%, NZ 6%, Australia 6% (1997 est.) |
| Imports: |
$69 million
(f.o.b., 1998) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs,
machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals |
| Imports
- partners: |
NZ 30%, Australia
19%, US 11%, UK 11%, Japan 3% (1997 est.) |
| Debt
- external: |
$62 million
(1998) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$38.8 million
(1995) |
| Exchange
rates: |
pa'anga per US
dollar - 1.9885 (January 2001), 1.7585 (2000), 1.5991
(1999), 1.4920 (1998), 1.2635 (1997), 1.2323 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
8,000 (1996) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
302 (1996) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 2,
shortwave 1 (2001) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (2001) |
| Televisions: |
2,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.to |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
1,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
680 km
paved: 184 km
unpaved: 496 km (1996) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Neiafu,
Nuku'alofa, Pangai |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,626 GRT/29,468 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 2, liquefied gas
3, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Tonga Defense
Services (includes Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan Royal
Guards, Maritime Force, Police); note - a new Air Wing which
will be subordinate to the Defense Ministry is being
developed |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA% |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
