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- #CARD:Tonga:Geography
- #IMAGE 49 66 TWPCX \maps\Tonga.PCX
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK Click Here for MAP
- Tonga
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Oceania, 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 km2
- land area:
- 718 km2
- 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 km2
- Environment:
- archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to cyclones (October to
- April); deforestation
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Tonga:People
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 103,949 (July 1993 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 0.8% (1993 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 25.16 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Death rate:
- 6.75 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -10.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 21.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 67.79 years
- male:
- 65.5 years
- female:
- 70.24 years (1993 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 3.68 children born/woman (1993 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 (1976)
- total population:
- 57%
- male:
- 60%
- female:
- 60%
- Labor force:
- NA
- by occupation:
- agriculture 70%, mining (600 engaged in mining)
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Tonga:Government
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Kingdom of Tonga
- conventional short form:
- Tonga
- 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)
- Constitution:
- 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
- Legal system:
- based on English law
- National holiday:
- Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
- Political parties and leaders:
- Democratic Reform Movement, 'Akilisi POHIVA; Christian Democratic Party,
- leader NA
- Suffrage:
- all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21
- Elections:
- Legislative Assembly:
- last held 14-15 February 1990 (next to be held 3-4 February 1993); results -
- percent of vote NA; seats - (29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3
- traditionalist
- Executive branch:
- monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
- (cabinet), Privy Council
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court
- Leaders:
- 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)
- Member of:
- ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF,
- INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
- WHO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- Ambassador Sione KITE, resides in London
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Tonga:Economy
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- 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.
- National product:
- GDP - exchange rate conversion - $92 million (FY90)
- National product real growth rate:
- 0.4% (FY92 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $900 (FY90)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 4% (FY92 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- NA%
- Budget:
- revenues $36.4 million; expenditures $68.1 million, including capital
- expenditures of $33.2 million (FY91 est.)
- Exports:
- $18.8 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.)
- commodities:
- coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans,
- fruits, vegetables, fish
- 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 1.7% (FY90); accounts for 11% of GDP
- Electricity:
- 6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (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:
- 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 - 1.3996 (January 1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991),
- 1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989), 1.2799 (1988)
- Fiscal year:
- 1 July-30 June
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Tonga:Communications
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Communications
-
-
- Highways:
- 198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vava'u); 94 km unsealed roads usable
- only in dry weather
- Ports:
- Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
- Merchant marine:
- 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,765 GRT/10,597 DWT; includes 1 cargo,
- 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 liquefied gas
- Airports:
- total:
- 6
- usable:
- 6
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 1
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659:
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Tonga:Defense Forces
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- Tonga Defense Force, Tonga Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Royal
- Tongan Guard, Police
- Manpower availability:
- NA
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
-
- #ENDCARD
-