Statistical information Tuvalu 1997

Tuvalu in the World
top of pageBackground: 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 1997 Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name '.tv' for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.
top of pageLocation: 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: 8 00 S, 178 00 E
Map reference:
OceaniaAreaTotal: 26 km²
Land: 26 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 24 km
Maritime claimsContiguous 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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources: fish
Land useArable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 100% (1993 est.)
Note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and support subsistence agriculture
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: severe tropical storms are rare
Geographytop of pagePopulation: 10,297 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.45% (1997 est.)
NationalityNoun: Tuvaluan(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 profileAge structure0-14 years: 36% (male 1,871; female 1,803)
15-64 years: 59% (male 2,903; female 3,226)
65 years and over: 5% (male 229; female 265) (July 1997 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.45% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 23.31 births/1000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 8.84 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 26.9 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 63.61 years
Male: 62.44 years
Female: 64.84 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.11 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: NA; note - education is free and compulsory from ages 6 through 13
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional 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 areasIndependence: 1 October 1978 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution: 1 October 1978
Legal system: NA
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Manuella TULAGA (since NA June 1994)
Head of government: Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 23 December 1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Ionatana IONATANA (since 23 December 1996)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held NA December 1996 (next to be held by NA 1997)
Election results: Bikenibeu PAENIU elected prime minister; percent of Parliament vote - NA; Ionatana IONATANA elected deputy prime minister; percent of Parliament vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono (12 seats - two from each island with more than 1,000 inhabitants, one from all the other inhabited islands; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12
Judicial branch: High Court; note - a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over sessions of the High Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, 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 large-scale tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline, which will present additional problems for Tuvalu's already stretched economy. 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. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 8.7% (1995)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (1995 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%
Agriculture products: coconuts; fish
Industries: fishing, tourism, copra
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Labor force: NA
By occupation: NA
Note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those working abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $4.3 million
Expenditures: $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1989 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExportsTotal value: $165,000 (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: copra
Partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
ImportsTotal value: $4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $NA
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.2835 (January 1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 2,600 kW (1995)
Production: 3 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: NA kWh
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 130 (1983 est.)
Telephone systemDomestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
International: NA
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 1 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1996 est.)
HeliportsPipelinesRailways: 0 km
RoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marineTotal: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 49,488 GRT/80,968 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1996 est.)
Ports and terminalsTuvalu - Transnational issues 1997
top of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs