Statistical information Tuvalu 2012

Tuvalu in the World

Tuvalu - Introduction 2012

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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 2000 Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name '.tv' for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.

Tuvalu - Geography 2012

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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: 8 00 S 178 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 238
Comparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 24 km

Maritime claims

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

Terrain: low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation

Natural resources: fish

Land use

Land use

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: severe tropical storms are usually rare but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level

Geography
Note: one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea Nui Vaitupu Nukufetau Funafuti and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Tuvalu - People 2012

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Population: 10,619 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 225
Growth rate: 0.725% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 138
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Polynesian 96% Micronesian 4%

Languages: Tuvaluan (official) English (official) Samoan Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Religions: Protestant 98.4% (Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97% Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%) Baha'i 1% other 0.6%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.725% (2012 est.)
Rank: 138

Birth rate: 23.35 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 72

Death rate: 9.13 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 64

Net migration rate: -6.97 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 202

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); 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; Tuvalu is concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000 the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 67

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 169

Total fertility rate: 3.08 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 58

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.636 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 5.56 beds/1000 population (2001)

Sanitation facility access:

urban: 88% of population
rural: 81% of population
total: 84% of population

Unimproved:

urban: 12% of population
rural: 19% of population
total: 16% of population

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.6% (2007)
Rank: 114

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment

Tuvalu - Government 2012

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Country name

Government type: parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 1 October (1978)

Constitution: 1 October 1978

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders: there are no political parties but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings

International organization participation: ACP ADB AOSIS C FAO IBRD IDA IFRCS (observer) ILO IMF IMO IOC ITU OPCW PIF Sparteca SPC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does however have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue Suite 400D New York NY 10,017 telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534 fax: [1] (212) 937-0692
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 on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage

Tuvalu - Economy 2012

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Economy 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 and is almost entirely dependent upon imported food and fuel. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1000 tourists on average visit Tuvalu annually. Job opportunities are scarce and public sector workers make up most of those employed. About 15% of the adult male population work as seamen on merchant ships abroad and remittances are a vital source of income contributing around $2 million in 2007. Substantial income is received annually from the Tuvalu Trust Fund (TTF) an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia NZ and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals this fund grew from an initial $17 million to an estimated value of $77 million in 2006. The TTF contributed nearly $9 million towards the government budget in 2006 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. The US Government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to ensure financial stability and sustainability the government is pursuing public sector reforms including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts. Tuvalu also derives royalties from the lease of its '.tv' Internet domain name with revenue of more than $2 million in 2006. A minor source of government revenue comes from the sale of stamps and coins. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees remittances from overseas workers official transfers and income from overseas investments. Growing income disparities and the vulnerability of the country to climatic change are among leading concerns for the nation.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$36.59 million (2011 est.)
$36.33 million (2010 est.)

Rank: 226

Real gdp growth rate:

1.1% (2011 est.)
-2.9% (2010 est.)

Rank: 158

Real gdp per capita:

$3,300 (2011 est.)
$3,300 (2010 est.)

Rank: 172

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coconuts; fish

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 3,615 (2004 est.)
Rank: 223

Labor force