Map of Tuvalu | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background:


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Location: Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 26 km²
Land: 26 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 24 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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
Highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 2 m

Natural resources: fish, coconut (copra)

Land use
Agricultural land: 60% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 60% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 33.3% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low levels 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


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Population
Distribution: over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti: 11,639 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.81% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 26.3% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tuvaluan(s)
Adjective: Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups: Tuvaluan 97%, Tuvaluan/I-Kiribati 1.6%, Tuvaluan/other 0.8%, other 0.6% (2017 est.)

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

Religions: Protestant 92.7% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.9%, Brethren 2.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assemblies of God 1.5%), Baha'i 1.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 3.9%, none or refused 0.4% (2017 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 29.27% (male 1,745/female 1,662)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 3,703/female 3,664)
65 years and over: 7.43% (2023 est.) (male 318/female 547)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 60.9
Youth dependency ratio: 50.9
Elderly dependency ratio: 10
Potential support ratio: 10 (2021)

Median age
Total: 27.5 years (2023 est.)
Male: 26.5 years
Female: 28.6 years

Population growth rate: 0.81% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 22.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Urbanization
Urban population: 66.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.08% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: water needs met by catchment systems; the use of sand as a building material has led to beachhead erosion; deforestation; damage to coral reefs from increasing ocean temperatures and acidification; rising sea levels threaten water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 6.81 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.01 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.01 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 28.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 31.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 24.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.7 years (2023 est.)
Male: 66.3 years
Female: 71.3 years

Total fertility rate: 2.81 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 23.7% (2019/20)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 21.5% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 1.19 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 51.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 35.6% (2020 est.)
Male: 49.8% (2020 est.)
Female: 21.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.1% (2019/20) NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 20.6% (2016)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 9.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 45.9%


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Tuvalu
Local long form: none
Local short form: Tuvalu
Former: Ellice Islands
Etymology: "tuvalu" means "group of eight" or "eight standing together" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands

Government type: parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Name: Funafuti; note - the capital is an atoll of some 29 islets; administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet
Geographic coordinates: 8 31 S, 179 13 E
Time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the atoll is named after a founding ancestor chief, Funa, from the island of Samoa

Administrative divisions: 7 island councils and 1 town council*; Funafuti*, Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution
History: previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986
Amendments: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the final reading; amended 2007, 2010, 2013, 2023

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
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes; for a child born abroad, at least one parent must be a citizen of Tuvalu
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: na

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Tofiga Vaevalu FALANI (since 29 August 2021)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kausea NATANO (since 19 September 2019)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister
Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of House of Assembly following parliamentary elections
Election results: Kausea NATANO elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote count on 19 September 2019 - 10 to 6

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Assembly or Fale I Fono (16 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 9 September 2019 (next to be held on 31 December 2023)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16 (9 members reelected); composition - 15 men, 1 woman; percent women 6.25%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and not less than 3 appeals judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; High Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; chief justice serves for life; other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet after consultation with chief justice; judge tenure set by terms of appointment
Subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; island courts; land courts

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, IFAD, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission:
In the us chancery: 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1104, New York, NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534
In the us FAX: [1] (212) 808-4,975
In the us email address and website:
From the us embassy: 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: maneapa (native meeting house); national colors: light blue, yellow

National anthem
Name: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty)
Lyrics/music: Afaese MANOA
Note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto

National heritage


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Economy overview: upper middle-income Pacific island economy; extremely environmentally fragile; currency pegged to Australian dollar; large international aid recipient; subsistence agrarian sector; Te Kakeega sustainable development; domain name licensing incomes

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 87% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.3% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 43.7% (2016 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -66.1% (2016 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 24.5% (2012 est.)
Industry: 5.6% (2012 est.)
Services: 70% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruit, bananas, roots/tubers, pork, poultry, eggs, pig fat, pig offals

Industries: fishing

Industrial production growth rate: -26.1% (2012 est.)

Labor force: 3,615 (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 20.6% (2016)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 9.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 45.9%

Population below poverty line: 26.3% (2010 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 39.1 (2010 est.)

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $87 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $88 million (2019 est.)
Note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia
Surplus  or deficit: 25.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 106.7% (of GDP) (2013 est.)
Note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

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:
Partners: Thailand 91%, Nigeria 5%, Philippines 3%, South Korea 1% (2021)
Commodities: tugboats, tuna, nitrile compounds, integrated circuits, electrical power accessories (2021)

Imports:
Partners: China 36%, Japan 33%, Fiji 13%, South Korea 9%, New Zealand 4% (2021)
Commodities: cargo ships, fishing ships, refined petroleum, tankers, tugboats, construction vehicles (2021)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 99.6% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 100% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 99% (2021)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 0 Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 9,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: no TV stations; many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2019)

Internet
Country code: .tv
Users total: 7,920 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 49% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 450 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2017 est.)


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (Ministry of Justice, Communications, and Foreign Affairs) (2023)

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: T2

Airports: 1 (2021)
With unpaved runways: 1
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 8 km (2011)
Paved: 8 km (2011)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 260 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 23, container ship 3, general cargo 39, oil tanker 24, other 171

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Funafuti


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Disputes international: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs