Map of Tuvalu | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: In 1974 ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 1989 Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name '.tv' for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 24 km

Maritime claims
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November; westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation

Natural resources: fish

Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean


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Population: 8,624 (July 1989), growth rate 1.7% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Tuvaluans(s; adjective - Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups: 96% Polynesian

Languages: Tuvaluan, English

Religions: Christian, predominantly Protestant

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 27 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 10 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: severe tropical storms are rare

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 63 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: less than 50%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: none

Government type: independent state, special member of the Commonwealth

Capital: Funafuti

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution: 1 October 1978

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult

Executive branch

Legislative branch: NA

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate member), GATT (de facto), SPF, SPC, UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador (vacant; US - none

Flag description: light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor quality soil. The country has a small economy, no known mineral resources, and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coconuts, copra

Industries: fishing, tourism, copra

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $2.59 million; expenditures $3.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1983 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: NA

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.)
Commodities: copra
Partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ

Imports: $2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.)
Commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.1493 (January 1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: 2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 350 kWh per capita (1988)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: NA

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,043 GRT/450 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs