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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way
- from Hawaii to New Zealand
- Map references:
- Oceania
- 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:
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- 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 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
- natural hazards:
- cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou
- international agreements:
- party to - Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban
- Note:
- archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 105,600 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- NA
- 15-64 years:
- NA
- 65 years and over:
- NA
- Population growth rate:
- 0.78% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 24.37 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 6.75 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -9.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 20.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 68.16 years
- male:
- 65.8 years
- female:
- 70.62 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 3.56 children born/woman (1995 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:
- 100%
- male:
- 100%
- female:
- 100%
- Labor force:
- NA
- by occupation:
- agriculture 70%, mining (600 engaged in mining)
- 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 (emancipation from UK protectorate)
- National holiday:
- Emancipation 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 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; consists of twelve cabinet ministers sitting ex-officio, nine
- nobles selected by the country's thirty-three nobles, and nine people's
- representatives elected by the populace
- Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea):
- elections last held 3-4 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 1996);
- results - percent of vote NA; seats - (30 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3
- traditionalist
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- Tonga People's Party, Viliami FUKOFUKA
- Member of:
- ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
- IFRCS, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Government
- Flag:
- red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side
- corner
- 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. 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 manufacturing sector accounts for only 11% of GDP.
- Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the country
- also remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to offset its
- trade deficit. The economy continued to grow in 1993-94 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 parity - $214 million (1994 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 5% (1994 est.)
- National product per capita:
- $2,050 (1994 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 3% (1993)
- Unemployment rate:
- NA%
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $36.4 million
- expenditures:
- $68.1 million, including capital expenditures of $33.2 million (1991 est.)
- Exports:
- $11.3 million (f.o.b., FY92/93)
- commodities:
- squash, vanilla, fish, root crops, coconut oil
- partners:
- Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY90/91)
- Imports:
- $56 million (c.i.f., FY92/93)
- commodities:
- food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels,
- chemicals
- partners:
- NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY90/91)
- External debt:
- $47.5 million (FY90/91)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 1.5% (FY91/92); accounts for 11% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 6,000 kW
- production:
- 30 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 231 kWh (1993)
- Industries:
- tourism, fishing
- Agriculture:
- accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production;
- vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Economy
- 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 - 1.2653 (January 1995), 1.3202 (1994), 1.3841 (1993),
- 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2800 (1990)
- Fiscal year:
- 1 July - 30 June
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Transportation
-
-
- Railroads:
- 0 km
- 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:
- Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai
- Merchant marine:
- total:
- 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,440 GRT/8,984 DWT
- ships by type:
- cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
- Airports:
- total:
- 6
- with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
- 1
- with paved runways under 914 m:
- 2
- with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
- 1
- with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
- 2
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- 3,529 telephones
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
- radios:
- 66,000
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- 0
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Tonga
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- Tonga Defense Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan
- Royal Guards, Police
- Defense expenditures:
- $NA, NA% of GDP
-