TONGA
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 748 km2; land area: 718 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 419 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: no specific limits;
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
Natural resources: fish, fertile soil
Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 55%; meadows and
pastures 6%; forest and woodland 12%; other 2%
Environment: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to
cyclones (October to April); deforestation
Note: located about 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about
two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand
PEOPLE
Population: 102,272 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Tongan(s); adjective--Tongan
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian; about 300 Europeans
Religion: Christian; Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000
adherents
Language: Tongan, English
Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can
read and write a simple message in Tongan or English (1976)
Labor force: NA; 70% agriculture; 600 engaged in mining
Organized labor: none
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Kingdom of Tonga
Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Nukualofa
Administrative divisions: three island groups; Haapai, Tongatapu,
Vavau
Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK; formerly Friendly Islands)
Constitution: 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
Legal system: based on English law
National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State--King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Prince Fatafehi TU'IPELEHAKE
(since 16 December 1965)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Reform Movement,
'Akolisi POHIVA
Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females
over 21
Elections:
Legislative Assembly--last held 14-15 February 1990
(next to be held NA February 1993);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist
Communists: none known
Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Siosaia a'Ulupekotofa
TUITA resides in London;
US--the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is
accredited to Tonga and makes periodic visits
Flag: red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner
ECONOMY
Overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about
70% of the labor force and contributes 50% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and
vanilla beans are the main crops and make up two-thirds of 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 island remains
dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to sustain its trade
deficit.
GDP: $86 million, per capita $850; real growth rate 3.6%
(FY89 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (FY89)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $30.6 million; expenditures $48.9 million,
including capital expenditures of $22.5 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $9.6 million (f.o.b., FY90 est.);
commodities--coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro,
vanilla beans, fruits, vegetables, fish;
partners--NZ 54%, Australia 30%, US 8%, Fiji 5% (FY87)
Imports: $59.9 million (c.i.f., FY90 est.);
commodities--food products, beverages and tobacco, fuels, machinery
and transport equipment, chemicals, building materials;
partners--NZ 39%, Australia 25%, Japan 9%, US 6%, EC 5% (FY87)
External debt: $42.0 million (FY89)
Industrial production: growth rate 15% (FY86); accounts for
11% of GDP
Electricity: 6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced,
80 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: tourism, fishing
Agriculture: dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production;
vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $240 million
Currency: pa'anga (plural--pa'anga); 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1--1.2832 (January 1991),
1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989), 1.2799 (1988), 1.4282 (1987), 1.4960
(1986), 1.4319 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: 198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vavau); 94 km
unsealed roads usable only in dry weather
Ports: Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Merchant marine: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 35,857
GRT/480,726 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container,
1 liquefied gas
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659;
1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 3,529 telephones; 66,000 radios; no TV
sets; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth
station
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Land Force, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines,
Royal Tongan Guard, Police
Manpower availability: NA
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP