Tonga Population: 106,322
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| Background | |
| 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. |
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| Geography | |
| Archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited) | |
| 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: 747 sq km land: 717 sq km water: 30 sq km Size comparison: 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 elevation 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 volcanism: moderate volcanic activity; Fonualei (elev. 180 m) has shown frequent activity in recent years, while Niuafo'ou (elev. 260 m), which last erupted in 1985, has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua |
| Current Environment 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 |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| People | |
| Population: | 106,322 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 36.2% (male 19,545/female 18,927) 15-24 years: 19.2% (male 10,432/female 9,935) 25-54 years: 33% (male 17,549/female 17,562) 55-64 years: 5.4% (male 2,779/female 2,994) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 3,034/female 3,565) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 21.6 years male: 21.2 years female: 22.1 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.192% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 24.7 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -17.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 13.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 75.38 years male: 73.98 years female: 76.83 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 3.46 children born/woman (2013 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 (official), English (official) |
| Literacy: | definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1999 est.) |
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| Government | |
| 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: | National Day, 4 November (1875) |
| Constitution: | 4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967 |
| Legal system: | English common law |
| Suffrage: | 21 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012); note - King George TUPOU V died on 18 March 2012 in Hong Kong; he was succeeded by his brother Crown Prince TUPOUTO'A Lavaka, who took the throne name TUPOU VI head of government: Prime Minister Lord Siale'ataonga TU'IVAKANO (since 22 December 2010) cabinet: Cabinet is nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) note: there is also a Privy Council that advises the monarch elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of parliament and appointed by the monarch election results: Lord Siale'ataonga TU'IVAKANO elected by parliament on 21 December 2010 with 14 of 26 votes |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (26 seats - 9 for nobles elected from among the country's 29 nobles, 17 members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 25 November 2010 (next to be held in 2014) election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - independents 67.3%, Democratic Party 28.5%; seats - Democratic Party 12, independents 5 |
| 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: | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands [Samuela 'Akilisi POHIVA]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO]; Sustainable Nation-Building Party [Sione FONUA]; Tonga Democratic Labor Party [NA]; Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM [NA] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE] |
| International organization participation: | ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Sonatane Tu'akinamolahi TAUMOEPEAU-TUPOU chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400B, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (800) 345-6541 consulate(s) general: San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga |
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| Economy | |
| Tonga has a small, open, South Pacific island economy. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, 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. Tonga had 39,000 visitors in 2006. 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, moderate inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $786 million (2012 est.) $775.4 million (2011 est.) $765 million (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $476 million (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 1.4% (2012 est.) 1.5% (2011 est.) 1.6% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $7,500 (2012 est.) $7,500 (2011 est.) $7,400 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 20.9% industry: 16.6% services: 62.5% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 39,960 (2007) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 31.8% industry: 30.6% services: 2,003% (2003 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): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (2012 est.) 6.6% (2011 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $115.1 million expenditures: $115.1 million (2012 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish |
| Industries: | tourism, construction, fishing |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 1% (2003 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 41 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 208 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 38.13 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$48.1 million (2012 est.) -$29.8 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $11.4 million (2012 est.) $10.8 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops |
| Exports - partners: | Hong Kong 19.9%, Japan 14.3%, US 10.6%, South Korea 10.1%, Fiji 8.9%, NZ 8.6%, Samoa 7.5%, Brazil 5.3%, American Samoa 4.7% (2011) |
| Imports: | $124.2 million (2012 est.) $121.1 million (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals |
| Imports - partners: | Fiji 36.7%, NZ 24.9%, US 10.5%, China 7.2% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $118.3 million (31 December 2012 est.) $143.3 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $118.6 million (31 December 2012 est.) $113.5 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - 1.737 (2012 est.) 1.729 (2011 est.) 1.906 (2010 est.) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 30,000 (2011) country comparison to the world: 176 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 55,000 (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT granted approval to introduce high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television while TCC has exclusive rights to operate the mobile-phone network; international telecom services are provided by government-owned Tonga Telecommunications International (TTI) domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 80 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switched network international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .to |
| Internet hosts: | 5,367 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 8,400 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 6 (2012) country comparison to the world: 177 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2012) |
| Roadways: | total: 680 km paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (2000) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 7 by type: cargo 4, carrier 1, passenger/cargo 2 foreign-owned: 2 (Australia 1, UK 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Nuku'alofa, Neiafu, Pangai |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Tonga Defense Services (TDS): Land Force (Royal Guard), Maritime Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2010) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 16 years of age for voluntary enlistment (with parental consent); no conscription; the king retains the right to call up "all those capable of bearing arms" in wartime (2012) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 24,460 females age 16-49: 24,041 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 20,956 females age 16-49: 20,577 (2010 est.) |
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