Map of Tuvalu | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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 1994 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: Oceania, Polynesia, 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 26 km²
Land: 26 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 24 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive 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
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 100%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: severe tropical storms are rare

Geography


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Population: 9,831 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.66% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Tuvaluans(s)

Ethnic groups: Polynesian 96%

Languages: Tuvaluan, English

Religions: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.66% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 25.73 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 9.15 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, all water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 27.3 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.03 years
Male: 61.57 years
Female: 64.08 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.11 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
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: former:Ellice Islands

Government type: democracy; began debating republic status in 1992; referendum expected in 1993

Capital: Funafuti

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution: 1 October 1978

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Tomu Malaefono SIONE (since NA 1993)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kamuta LATASI (since 10 December 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Otinielu TAUSI (since 10 December 1993)

Legislative branch: Police Force
Parliament Palamene: elections last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total)

Judicial branch: High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
From the us:

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 soil. The country has 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. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1990 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $700 (1990)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coconuts and fish

Industries: fishing, tourism, copra

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA
By occupation: 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:$4.3 million

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: $165,000 (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: copra
Partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ

Imports: $4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989)
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 - 1.4364 (January 1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 2,600 kW
Production: 3 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 330 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 GNP

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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 57,067 GRT/102,037 DWT, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 2, passenger-cargo 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs