Map of Tonga | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of 'The Friendly Islands' were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.


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Location: Oceania archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S 175 00 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 747 km²
Land: 717 km²
Water: 30 km²
Rank: 190
Comparative: four times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 419 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May) cool season (May to December)

Terrain: mostly flat islands with limestone bedrock formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic rock

Elevation
Mean elevation: NA
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m: highest point: unnamed elevation on Kao Island 1033 m

Natural resources: fish arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 43.1%
Forest: 12.5%
Other: 44.4%

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou
Volcanism: moderate volcanic activity; Fonualei has shown frequent activity in recent years while Niuafo'ou (elev. 260 m) which last erupted in 1985 has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua

Geography
Note: archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)


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Population: 106,513 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 193
Growth rate: -0.01% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 200
Below poverty line: 24% (FY03/04 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tongan
Adjective: Tongan

Ethnic groups: Tongan 96.6% part-Tongan 1.7% other 1.7% unspecified 0.03% (2006 est.)

Languages: English and Tongan 87% Tongan (official) 10.7% English (official) 1.2% other 1.1% unspecified 0.03% (2006 est.)

Religions: Protestant 64.9% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 37.3% Free Church of Tonga 11.4% Church of Tonga 7.2% Tokaikolo Christian Church 2.6% Assembly of God 2.3% Seventh Day Adventist 2.2% Constitutional Church of Tonga 0.9% Anglican 0.8% and Full Gospel Church 0.2%) Mormon 16.8% Roman Catholic 15.6% other 1.1% none 0.03% unspecified 1.7% (2006 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 34.47%
15-24 years: 19.57%
25-54 years: 33.92%
55-64 years: 5.7%
65 years and over: 6.35% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 74.3%
Youth dependency ratio: 64.1%
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.2%
Potential support ratio: 9.8%

Median age
Total: 22.6 years
Male: 22.2 years
Female: 23.1 years
Rank: 175

Population growth rate: -0.01% (2016 est.)
Rank: 200

Birth rate: 22.6 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 71

Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 194

Net migration rate: -17.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 220

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 23.7% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.71% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: NUKU'ALOFA 25,000 (2014)

Environment
Current issues: 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Marine Life Conservation Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male/female
25-54 years: 1 male/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 24.9
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.6 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 12 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 124

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.2 years
Male: 74.7 years
Female: 77.8 years
Rank: 90

Total fertility rate: 3.18 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 51

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.56 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 2.6 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

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

Major infectious diseases
Note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country ; it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex via blood transfusion or during pregnancy in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 41.1% (2014)
Rank: 5

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.9% (2012)

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
Total population: 99.4%
Male: 99.3%
Female: 99.4%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
Conventional short form: Tonga
Local long form: Pule'anga Tonga
Local short form: Tonga
Former: Friendly Islands
Etymology: 'tonga' means 'south' in the Tongan language and refers to the country's geographic position in relation to central Polynesia

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital
Name: Nuku'alofa
Geographic coordinates: 21 08 S 175 12 W
Time difference: UTC+13

Administrative divisions: 5 island divisions; 'Eua Ha'apai Ongo Niua Tongatapu Vava'u

Dependent areas

Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday: King's Official Birthday 4 July (1959); Constitution Day (National Day) 4 November (1875)

Constitution: adopted 4 November 1875 revised 1988; amended many times last in 2014 (2016)

Legal system: English common law

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

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Tonga; if a child is born out of wedlock the mother must be a citizen of Tonga
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King TUPOU VI ; note - on 18 March 2012 King George TUPOU V died and his brother Crown Prince TUPOUTO'A Lavaka assumed the throne as TUPOU VI
Head of government: Prime Minister 'Akilisi POHIVA
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch; election last held on 21 December 2010
Election results: 'Akilisi POHIVA elected prime minister by parliament on 29 December 2014; vote - 15 of 26 votes
Note: a Privy Council advises the monarch

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea
Elections: last held on 27 November 2014
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 9 noble's representatives 9 independent 8

Judicial branch
Highest court: Court of Appeal ; note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers
Judge selection and term of office: judge appointments and tenures made by the King in Privy Council judge appointments subject to consent of the Legislative Assembly
Subordinate courts: Supreme Court; Magistrate's Courts; Land Courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP ADB AOSIS C FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IPU ITU ITUC (NGOs) OPCW PIF Sparteca SPC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mahe'uli'uli Sandhurst TUPOUNIUA
In the us chancery: 250 E. 51st Street New York NY 10,022
In the us telephone: [1] 369-1025
In the us FAX: [1] 369-1024
In the us consulate general: San Francisco
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga

Flag description: red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross reflects the deep-rooted Christianity in Tonga; red represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice; white signifies purity

National symbols: red cross on white field arms equal length; national colors: red white

National anthem
Name: 'Ko e fasi `o e tu'i `o e `Otu Tonga'
Lyrics and music: Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT
Note: in use since 1875; more commonly known as 'Fasi Fakafonua'

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 213

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 88

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 168

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 79.8%
Government consumption: 20.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 38.7%
Investment in inventories: 0.1%
Exports of goods and services: 16.2%
Imports of goods and services: -55.5%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 19.3%
Industry: 20.1%
Services: 60.6%

Agriculture products: squash coconuts copra bananas vanilla beans cocoa coffee sweet potatoes cassava taro and kava

Industries: tourism construction fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 10.9% (2015 est.)
Rank: 7

Labor force: 33,800 (2011 est.)
Rank: 201
By occupation agriculture: 27.5%
By occupation industry: 27.5%
By occupation services: 2006%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 6

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 24% (FY03/04 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $94.98 million
Expenditures: $94.98 million
Surplus or deficit: 0% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 38

Taxes and other revenues: 22.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 140

Public debt:
Rank: 98

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 42

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 104

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 186

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 190

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 183

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 60

Exports:
Rank: 207
Commodities: squash fish vanilla beans root crops
Partners: Japan 16% US 15.4% Fiji 12.8% NZ 12.5% South Korea 11% Samoa 10.7% Australia 7.5% American Samoa 6.8% (2015)

Imports:
Rank: 202
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and transport equipment fuels chemicals
Partners: Fiji 37.7% NZ 21.2% China 14.2% US 6.4% Australia 4.5% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 162

Debt external:
Rank: 188

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 118

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 5,325
Access electrification total population: 96%
Access electrification urban areas: 100%
Access electrification rural areas: 83%
Production: 50 million kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 208
Consumption: 46.5 million kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 207
Exports: 0 kWh (2013)
Exports rank: 203
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 208
Installed generating capacity: 17,000 kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 206
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 30
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 190
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 207
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 132

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 197
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 196
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 133
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2010 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 198

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 135
Products consumption: 1500 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 198
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 136
Products imports: 1457 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 193

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 135
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 199
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 192
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 140
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 199

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 200,000 Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 197

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 13,220
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12
Fixed lines rank: 195
Mobile cellular total: 70,000
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 66
Mobile cellular rank: 197

Telephone system
General assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation and Digicel Tonga Limited is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; both parties provide high speed Internet mobile telephone networks and international telecom services; Digicel also holds a telecommunication license after its acquisition of TonFon (a subsidiary of former Shoreline Communications Tonga); submarine cable infrastructure managed by Tonga Cable Limited has also been brought to the country by Asian Development Bank and World Bank aid
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 80 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switched network
International: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2015)

Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV station and 3 privately owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services are available; 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned radio stations; Radio Australia broadcasts available via satellite (2015)

Internet
Country code: .to
Users total: 48,000
Users percent of population: 45%
Users rank: 191

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary enlistment (with parental consent); no conscription; the king retains the right to call up 'all those capable of bearing arms' in wartime (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 75,416
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: A3 (2016)

Airports: 6 (2013)
Rank: 177
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 680 km
Paved: 184 km
Unpaved: 496 km
Rank: 190

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 7
By type: cargo 4 carrier 1 passenger/cargo 2
Foreign owned: 2 (2010)
Rank: 122

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Nuku'alofa Neiafu Pangai


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs