Tonga

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Introduction - Tonga:
Country	Tonga


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.


Location - Tonga:
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 sq km land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km

Area comparative	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 location 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 Fonuafoou

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 Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography note	archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

People - Tonga:
Population	116,921 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 34.6% (male 20,624/female 19,779) 15-64 years: 61.2% (male 35,551/female 36,052) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,087/female 2,828) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 21.3 years male: 20.7 years female: 21.8 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	1.847% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	23.67 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.043 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.986 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.738 male(s)/female total population: 0.993 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 11.99 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 70.12 years male: 67.6 years female: 72.76 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	2.75 children born/woman (2007 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, English

Literacy	definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1999 est.)

Government - Tonga:
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga local long form: Puleanga Tonga local short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands

Government type	constitutional monarchy

Capital	name: Nukualofa 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; Haapai, Tongatapu, Vavau

Independence	4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday	Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)

Constitution	4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967

Legal system	based on English common law

Suffrage	21 years of age; universal

Executive branch	chief of state: King George TUPOU V (since 11 September 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 consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by the monarch for life; four appointed from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, including two 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 branch	unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the countrys 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms) elections: last held on 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%, other 30%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2

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	Peoples Democratic Party [Tesina FUKO]

Political pressure groups and leaders	Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servants Association [Finau TUTONE]

International organization participation	ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa UTOIKAMANU chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 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

Economy - Tonga:
Economy overview	Tonga has a small, open, South Pacific island economy. It has 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 purchasing power parity	$178.5 million (2004 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$244 million (2005 est.)

Gdp real growth rate	2.4% (2005 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$2,200 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 23% industry: 27% services: 50% (FY03/04 est.)

Labor force	33,910 (2003)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 65% industry and services: 35% (1997 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	11.1% (2005 est.)

Budget	revenues: $56.97 million expenditures: $83.88 million; including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY04/05)

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

Industries	tourism, fishing

Industrial production growth rate	1% (2003 est.)

Electricity production	41 million kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	38.13 million kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil consumption	900 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	0 bbl

Natural gas production	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance	-$4.321 million (FY04/05)

Exports	$34 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports commodities	squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops

Exports partners	US 41.8%, Japan 29.2%, NZ 8.6%, Fiji 4.2% (2006)

Imports	$122 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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

Imports partners	Fiji 30%, NZ 27.5%, US 8.2%, Australia 7.5%, France 5.6%, UK 4.6% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$40.83 million (yearend, FY04/05)

Debt external	$80.7 million (2004)

Economic aid recipient	$19.3 million (2004)

Currency code	paanga (TOP)

Exchange rates	paanga per US dollar - 2.0277 (2006), 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002)

Communications - Tonga:
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June

Telephones main lines in use	13,700 (2005)

Telephones mobile cellular	29,900 (2005)

Telephone system	general assessment: competition between Tonga 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 broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)

Television broadcast stations	3 (2004)

Internet country code	.to

Internet hosts	18,775 (2006)

Internet users	3,100 (2006)

Transportation - Tonga:
Airports	6 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Airports with unpaved runways	total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways	total: 680 km paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (1999)

Merchant marine	total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,185 GRT/72,960 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 terminals	Nukualofa

Military - Tonga:
Military branches	Tonga Defense Services: Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2006)

Military service age and obligation	18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 25,420 females age 18-49: 24,827 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 19,840 females age 18-49: 21,342 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 1,586 females age 18-49: 1,538 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	0.9% (2006 est.)