Background: 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

Map reference: Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 748 km²
Land: 718 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 419 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specified
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Terrain: most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Natural resources: fish, fertile soil

Land use
Arable land: 25%
Permanent crops: 55%
Meadows and pastures: 6%
Forest and woodland: 12%
Other: 2%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: subject to cyclones (October to April)

Geography
Note: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)

Population: 104,778 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.79% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Tongan(s)

Ethnic groups: Polynesian, Europeans about 300

Languages: Tongan, English

Religions: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Population growth rate: 0.79% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 24.76 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 6.75 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -10.14 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation

Infant mortality rate: 20.79 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.97 years
Male: 65.64 years
Female: 70.43 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write simple message in Tongan or English (1976)
Total population: 57%
Male: 60%
Female: 60%

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
Conventional short form: former:Friendly Islands

Government type: hereditary constitutional monarchy

Capital: Nuku'alofa

Administrative divisions: three island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK)

National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)

Constitution: 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

Legal system: based on English law

Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21

Executive branch
Chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
Head of government: Prime Minister Baron VAEA (since 22 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister S. Langi KAVALIKU (since 22 August 1991)

Legislative branch: Tonga Defense Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan Royal Guards, Police
Legislative Assembly Fale Alea: elections last held 14-15 February 1990 (next to be held NA February 1993); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
From the us: the US has no offices in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga and makes periodic visits
From the us consulates general: San Francisco

Flag description: red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner

Economy overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor force and contributes 40% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops and make up two-thirds of exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The manufacturing sector accounts for only 11% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the island remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to offset its trade deficit. The economy continued to grow in 1993 largely because of a rise in squash exports, increased aid flows, and several large construction projects. The government is now turning its attention to further development of the private sector and the reduction of the budget deficit.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,000 (1993 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper

Industries: tourism, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 1.5% (FY92; accounts for 11% of GDP

Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation mining: 600 people engaged in mining

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues:$36.4 million

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

Exports: $18.8 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.)
Commodities: vanilla, fish, root crops, coconut oil, squash
Partners: Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY91)

Imports: $68.3 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
Commodities: food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels, chemicals
Partners: NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY91)

Debt external: $47.5 million (FY91)

Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.3934 (November 1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989),

Electricity
Capacity: 6,000 kW
Production: 8 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 80 kWh (1990)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA, NA% of GDP

Airports: 6
Usable: 6
With permanentsurface runways: 1
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1

Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,761 GRT/10,597 DWT, cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Disputes international: none