Tonga




                                 Geography


Location:
     Oceania, Polynesia, 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about
     two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Map references:
     Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     748 sq km
land area:
     718 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     419 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
     not specified
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     none
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
Natural resources:
     fish, fertile soil
Land use:
arable land:
     25%
permanent crops:
     55%
meadows and pastures:
     6%
forest and woodland:
     12%
other:
     2%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     deforestation
natural hazards:
     subject to cyclones (October to April)




international agreements:
     party to - Marine Life Conservation
Note:
     archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)


                                  People


Population:
     104,778 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.79% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     24.76 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     6.75 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -10.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     20.79 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     67.97 years
male:
     65.64 years
female:
     70.43 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     3.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Tongan(s)
adjective:
     Tongan
Ethnic divisions:
     Polynesian, Europeans about 300
Religions:
     Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)
Languages:
     Tongan, English
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write simple message in Tongan or English
     (1976)
total population:
     57%
male:
     60%
female:
     60%
Labor force:
     NA
by occupation:
     agriculture 70%, mining (600 engaged in mining)


                                Government




Names:
conventional long form:
     Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form:
former:
     Friendly Islands
Digraph:
     TN
Type:
     hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital:
     Nuku'alofa
Administrative divisions:
     three island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Independence:
     4 June 1970 (from UK)
National holiday:
     Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Constitution:
     4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
Legal system:
     based on English law
Suffrage:
     all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
head of government:
     Prime Minister Baron VAEA (since 22 August 1991); Deputy Prime
     Minister S. Langi KAVALIKU (since 22 August 1991)
cabinet:
     Cabinet; appointed by the king
Privy Council:
     consists of the king and the cabinet
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea):
     elections last held 14-15 February 1990 (next to be held NA February
     1993); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (29 total, 9 elected) 6
     proreform, 3 traditionalist
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
     Democratic Reform Movement, 'Akilisi POHIVA; Christian Democratic
     Party, leader NA
Member of:
     ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
     IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS,
     SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
     Ambassador Sione KITE, resides in London
consulate(s) general:
     San Francisco




US diplomatic representation:
     the US has no offices in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited
     to Tonga and makes periodic visits
Flag:
     red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side
     corner


                                  Economy


Overview:
     The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the
     labor force and contributes 40% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla
     beans are the main crops and make up two-thirds of exports. The
     country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New
     Zealand. The manufacturing sector accounts for only 11% of GDP.
     Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the
     island remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to
     offset its trade deficit. The economy continued to grow in 1993
     largely because of a rise in squash exports, increased aid flows, and
     several large construction projects. The government is now turning its
     attention to further development of the private sector and the
     reduction of the budget deficit.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $200 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     4% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $2,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     9% (FY92)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $36.4 million
expenditures:
     $68.1 million, including capital expenditures of $33.2 million (1991
     est.)
Exports:
     $18.8 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.)
commodities:
     vanilla, fish, root crops, coconut oil, squash
partners:
     Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY91)
Imports:
     $68.3 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
commodities:
     food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels,
     chemicals
partners:
     NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY91)
External debt:
     $47.5 million (FY91)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 1.5% (FY92); accounts for 11% of GDP




Electricity:
capacity:
     6,000 kW
production:
     8 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     80 kWh (1990)
Industries:
     tourism, fishing
Agriculture:
     accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and banana
     production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $258
     million
Currency:
     1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates:
     pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.3934 (November 1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961
     (1991), 1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989),
Fiscal year:
     1 July-30 June


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     366 km
paved:
     272 km (198 km on Tongatapu; 74 km on Vava'u)
unpaved:
     94 km (usable only in dry weather)
Ports:
     Nuku'alofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Merchant marine:
     3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,761 GRT/10,597 DWT, cargo 1,
     liquefied gas 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports:
total:
     6
usable:
     6
with permanent-surface runways:
     1
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     1
Telecommunications:
     3,529 telephones; 66,000 radios; no TV sets; broadcast stations - 1
     AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station






                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Tonga Defense Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines,
     Tongan Royal Guards, Police
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP