Map of Tonga | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: 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


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Location: Oceania, Polynesia, 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 748 km²
Land: 718 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 419 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specified
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

Natural resources: fish, fertile soil

Land use
Arable land: 25%
Permanent crops: 55%
Meadows and pastures: 6%
Forest and woodland: 12%
Other: 2%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: subject to cyclones (October to April)

Geography
Note: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)


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Population: 104,778 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.79% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Tongan(s)

Ethnic groups: Polynesian, Europeans about 300

Languages: Tongan, English

Religions: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.79% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 24.76 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 6.75 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -10.14 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 20.79 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.97 years
Male: 65.64 years
Female: 70.43 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write simple message in Tongan or English (1976)
Total population: 57%
Male: 60%
Female: 60%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: hereditary constitutional monarchy

Capital: Nuku'alofa

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK)

National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)

Constitution: 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

Legal system: based on English law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21

Executive branch
Chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
Head of government: Prime Minister Baron VAEA (since 22 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister S. Langi KAVALIKU (since 22 August 1991)

Legislative branch: Tonga Defense Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan Royal Guards, Police
Legislative Assembly Fale Alea: elections 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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
From the us: the US has no offices in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga and makes periodic visits
From the us consulates general: San Francisco

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor force and contributes 40% 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 offset its trade deficit. The economy continued to grow in 1993 largely because of a rise in squash exports, increased aid flows, and several large construction projects. The government is now turning its attention to further development of the private sector and the reduction of the budget deficit.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,000 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper

Industries: tourism, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 1.5% (FY92; accounts for 11% of GDP

Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation mining: 600 people engaged in mining

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:$36.4 million

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

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: $18.8 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.)
Commodities: vanilla, fish, root crops, coconut oil, squash
Partners: Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY91)

Imports: $68.3 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
Commodities: food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels, chemicals
Partners: NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY91)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $47.5 million (FY91)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.3934 (November 1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989),


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Electricity
Capacity: 6,000 kW
Production: 8 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 80 kWh (1990)

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, NA% of GDP

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: 6
Usable: 6
With permanentsurface runways: 1
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,761 GRT/10,597 DWT, cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs