from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Tonga
Introduction
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.
Geography
Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic 20 00 S, 175 00 W
coordinates:
Map Oceania
references:
Area: total: 748 sq km
land: 718 sq km
water: 30 sq km
Area - four times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 419 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m
Natural fish, fertile soil
resources:
Land use: arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 14.67%
other: 65.33% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic
hazards: activity on Fonuafo'ou
Environment - deforestation results as more and more land is being
current cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to
issues: coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and
shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea
turtle populations
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
agreements: Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
note:
People
Population: 114,689 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.3% (male 20,679/female 19,843)
15-64 years: 60.5% (male 34,399/female 34,964)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,059/female 2,745) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 20.7 years
male: 20.1 years
female: 21.3 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.01% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 25.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 69.82 years
expectancy at male: 67.32 years
birth: female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)
Total 3 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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.)
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 constitutional monarchy
type:
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 3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
divisions:
Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
National Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
holiday:
Constitution: 4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967
Legal system: based on English law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: King George TUPOU V (since 11 September
branch: 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 currently consists of 14 members, 10
appointed by the monarch for life; 4 appointed from
among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly,
including 2 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 unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats
branch: - 14 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio,
9 for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and 9
elected by popular vote; members serve three-year
terms)
elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in
2008)
election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of
vote - HRDMT 70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2
Judicial Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch);
branch: Court of Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices
from overseas chosen and approved by Privy Council)
Political People's Democratic Party [Tesina FUKO]
parties and
leaders:
Political Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT
pressure [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's
groups and Association [Finau TUTONE]
leaders:
International ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
organization IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU,
participation: OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU
representation chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
in the US: telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025
FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
Diplomatic the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the
representation ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga
from the US:
Flag red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the
description: upper hoist-side corner
Economy
Economy - Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has
overview: 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 $178.5 million (2004 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $244 million
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $2,200 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 23%
composition by industry: 27%
sector: services: 50% (FY03/04 est.)
Labor force: 33,910 (2003)
Labor force - agriculture: 65%
by occupation: industry and services: 35% (1997 est.)
Unemployment 13% (FY03/04 est.)
rate:
Population 24% NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 11.1% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $56.97 million
expenditures: $83.88 million; including capital
expenditures of $1.9 million (FY99/00 est.)
Agriculture - squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa,
products: coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish
Industries: tourism, fishing
Industrial 1% (2003 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 34 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 31.62 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 800 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-4.321 million
account
balance:
Exports: $34 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops
commodities:
Exports - Japan 41.5%, US 33.1%, NZ 6.3% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $122 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels,
commodities: chemicals
Imports - NZ 33.4%, Fiji 26.7%, Australia 10.5%, US 8.4% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $40.83 million
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $80.7 million (2004)
external:
Economic aid - $19.3 million Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3
recipient: million (FY01/02)
Currency pa'anga (TOP)
(code):
Currency code: TOP
Exchange pa'anga per US dollar - 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004),
rates: 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications
Telephones - 11,200 (2002)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 16,400 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: competition between Tonga
system: 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)
Radio AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 61,000 (1997)
Television 3 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 2,000 (1997)
Internet .to
country code:
Internet 18,775 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 2 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 3,000 (2004)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 6 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Airports - total: 5
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways: total: 680 km
paved: 184 km
unpaved: 496 km (1999)
Merchant total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,185 GRT/72,960
marine: DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, liquefied gas 1,
livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1,
UK 1) (2006)
Ports and Nuku'alofa
terminals:
Military
Military Tonga Defense Services: Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval
branches: Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2006)
Military 18 years of age (est.) (2004)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 25,420
available for females ag3 18-49: 24,827 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 19,840
for military females age 18-49: 21,342 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males ag3 18-49: 1,586
reaching females age 18-49: 1,538 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: