Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga 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
Map references
Oceania
Area
total
748 sq km
land
718 sq km
water
30 sq km
Area - comparative
four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
419 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
20%
permanent crops
14.67%
other
65.33% (2005)
Irrigated land
NA
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 Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
Population
116,921 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
34.6% (male 20,624/female 19,779)
15-64 years
61.2% (male 35,551/female 36,052)
65 years and over
4.2% (male 2,087/female 2,828) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
21.3 years
male
20.7 years
female
21.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.847% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
23.67 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.043 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.986 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.738 male(s)/female
total population
0.993 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
11.99 deaths/1,000 live births
male
13.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female
10.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
70.12 years
male
67.6 years
female
72.76 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Tongan(s)
adjective
Tongan
Ethnic groups
Polynesian, Europeans
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
98.9%
male
98.8%
female
99% (1999 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form
Tonga
local long form
Pule'anga Tonga
local short form
Tonga
former
Friendly Islands
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Capital
name
Nuku'alofa
geographic coordinates
21 08 S, 175 12 W
time difference
UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Independence
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
National holiday
Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Constitution
4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967
Legal system
based on English common law
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
King George TUPOU V (since 11 September 2006)
head of government
Prime Minister Dr. Feleti SEVELE (since 11 February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Viliami TANGI (since 16 May 2006)
cabinet
Cabinet consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by the monarch for life; four appointed from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, including two each from the nobles' and peoples' representatives serving three-year terms
note
there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the cabinet, and two governors
elections
none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 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 on 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%, other 30%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen and approved by Privy Council)
Political parties and leaders
People's Democratic Party [Tesina FUKO]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]
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, South Pacific island economy. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. 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 country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. 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 reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$178.5 million (2004 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$244 million (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$2,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
23%
industry
27%
services
50% (FY03/04 est.)
Labor force
33,910 (2003)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
65%
industry and services
35% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate
13% (FY03/04 est.)
Population below poverty line
24% (FY03/04)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
11.1% (2005 est.)
Budget
revenues
$56.97 million
expenditures
$83.88 million; including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY04/05)
Agriculture - products
squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish
Industries
tourism, fishing
Industrial production growth rate
1% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production
41 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
38.13 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
900 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance
-$4.321 million (FY04/05)
Exports
$34 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities
squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops
Exports - partners
US 41.8%, Japan 29.2%, NZ 8.6%, Fiji 4.2% (2006)
Imports
$122 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners
Fiji 30%, NZ 27.5%, US 8.2%, Australia 7.5%, France 5.6%, UK 4.6% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$40.83 million (yearend, FY04/05)
Debt - external
$80.7 million (2004)
Economic aid - recipient
$19.3 million (2004)
Currency (code)
pa'anga (TOP)
Currency code
TOP
Exchange rates
pa'anga per US dollar - 2.0277 (2006), 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
Telephones - main lines in use
11,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular
16,400 (2004)
Telephone system
general assessment
competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television
domestic
fully automatic switched network
international
country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)
