Tonga

§1. Tonga Introduction

Background:
  The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian
  kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British
  protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a
  member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the
  Pacific.

§2. Tonga Geography

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

Map references:
  Oceania

Area:
  total: 748 kmē
  land: 718 kmē
  water: 30 kmē

Area - comparative:
  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

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 location on Kao
    Island 1,033 m

Natural resources:
  fish, fertile soil

Land use:
  arable land: 24%
  permanent crops: 43%
  permanent pastures: 6%
  forests and woodland: 11%
  other: 16% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  NA kmē

Natural hazards:
  cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on
  Fonuafo'ou

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

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea,
    Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
    Pollution
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)

§3. Tonga People

Population:
  104,227 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 40.93% (male 21,739; female 20,916)
  15-64 years: 54.99% (male 28,231; female 29,082)
  65 years and over: 4.08% (male 1,912; female 2,347) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.79% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  23.59 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  5.74 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  14.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 68.25 years male: 65.83 years
  female: 70.78 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3 children born/woman (2001 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 about 300

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: 98.5%
  male: 98.4%
  female: 98.7% (1996 est.)

§4. Tonga Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
  conventional short form: Tonga
  former: Friendly Islands

Government type:
  hereditary constitutional monarchy

Capital:
  Nuku'alofa

Administrative divisions:
  3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Independence:
  4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday:
  Independence 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 Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since NA
    February 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Tevita TOPOU (since NA January
    2001)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
  note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch and the
    Cabinet
  elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime
    minister appointed for life by the monarch

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12 reserved for
  cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the
  country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve
  three-year terms)
  elections: last held NA March 1999 (next to be held NA 2002)
  election results: percent of vote - pro-democratic 40%; seats -
    pro-democratic 5, traditionalist 4

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal
  (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of
  the Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders:
  Human Rights and Democracy Movement [Huliki WATAB, chairman, Viliami
  FUKOFUKA, president, 'Akilisi POHIVA, vice president]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Pro-Democracy and Human Rights Movement [leader NA]

International organization participation:
  ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU,
  Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
  (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  Tonga does not have an embassy in the US; Ambassador Fetu'utolo TUPOU,
    resides in London; address: Embassy of the Kingdom of Tonga, c/o Tonga
    High Commission, 36 Molyneux Street, London W1H 6AB, telephone [44] (171)
    724-5828, FAX [44] (171) 723-9074
  consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is
  accredited to Tonga

Flag description:
  red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side
  corner

§5. Tonga Economy

Economy - overview:
  Tonga has a small, open economy with a narrow export base in agricultural
  goods, which contributes 30% 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 industrial sector accounts for only 10% of
  GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings. The country
  remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances from Tongan
  communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. 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 reasonable basic infrastructure and
  well-developed social services.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $225 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 30% industry: 10%
  services: 60% (1997)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  7% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  34,000 (FY96/97)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 65% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  13.3% (FY96/97)

Budget:
  revenues: $49 million
  expenditures: $120 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million
    (FY96/97 est.)

Industries:
  tourism, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
  8.6% (FY98/99)

Electricity - production:
  35 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  32.6 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger,
  black pepper; fish

Exports:
  $8 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities:
  squash, fish, vanilla beans

Exports - partners:
  Japan 53%, US 18%, NZ 6%, Australia 6% (1997 est.)

Imports:
  $69 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities:
  foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:
  NZ 30%, Australia 19%, US 11%, UK 11%, Japan 3% (1997 est.)

Debt - external:
  $62 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $38.8 million (1995)

Currency:
  pa'anga (TOP)

Currency code:
  TOP

Exchange rates:
  pa'anga per US dollar - 1.9885 (January 2001), 1.7585 (2000), 1.5991
  (1999), 1.4920 (1998), 1.2635 (1997), 1.2323 (1996)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Tonga Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  8,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  302 (1996)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA domestic: NA
  international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:
  61,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (2001)

Televisions:
  2,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .to

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  2 (2000)

Internet users:
  1,000 (2000)

§7. Tonga Transportation

Railways:
  0 km

Highways:
  total: 680 km
  paved: 184 km
  unpaved: 496 km (1996)

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai

Merchant marine:
  total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,626 GRT/29,468 DWT
  ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 2, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 1, roll
    on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  6 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 2
  under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

§8. Tonga Military

Military branches:
  Tonga Defense Services (includes Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan Royal Guards,
  Maritime Force, Police); note - a new Air Wing which will be subordinate to
  the Defense Ministry is being developed

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  NA%

§9. Tonga Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none
