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 1995 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, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total area total: 26 km²
Land: 26 km²
Comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

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%
Note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and support subsistence agriculture

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 9,991 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.58% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tuvaluans(s)
Adjective: Tuvaluan

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
0-14 years: 36% (female 1,787; male 1,852)
15-64 years: 59% (female 3,105; male 2,764)
65 years and over: 5% (female 258; male 225) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.58% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 24.82 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 9.01 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 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; beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the crown of thorns starfish
Current issues natural hazards: severe tropical storms are rare
Current issues international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 27.9 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.15 years
Male: 61.87 years
Female: 64.34 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.11 children born/woman (1995 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: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Tuvalu
Former: Ellice Islands

Government type: democracy; began debating republic status in 1992

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 Tulaga MANUELLA (since NA June 1994)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kamuta LATASI (since 10 December 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Otinielu TAUSI (since 10 December 1993)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
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, IFRCS (associate), INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Tuvalu has no mission in the US
From the 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 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: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $800 (1993 est.)

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
Expenditures: $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 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: $165,000 (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: copra
Partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ

Imports: $4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodoties: 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 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 2,600 kW
Production: 3 million kWh
Production 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: 108 telephones; 300 radiotelephones
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: NA

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: $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: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,473 GRT/73,652 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs