Background: The archipelago of 'The Friendly Islands' was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 175 00 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 748 km²
Land: 718 km²
Water: 30 km²
Comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 419 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m

Natural resources: fish, fertile soil

Land use
Arable land: 24%
Permanent crops: 43%
Permanent pastures: 6%
Forests and woodland: 11%
Other: 16% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: cyclones (October to April; earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou

Geography
Note: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)

Population: 108,207 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 0.81% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tongan(s)
Adjective: Tongan

Ethnic groups: Polynesian, Europeans about 300

Languages: Tongan, English

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

Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 0.81% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 26.43 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 6.07 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.23 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

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: Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Infant mortality rate: 38.57 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.54 years
Male: 67.51 years
Female: 71.96 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.63 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy
Definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
Total population: 98.5%
Male: 98.4%
Female: 98.7% (1996 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
Conventional short form: Tonga
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 (emancipation from UK protectorate)

National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)

Constitution: 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

Legal system: based on English law

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965): ead of
Government: Prime Minister Baron VAEA (since 22 August 1991) and Deputy Prime Minister S. Langi KAVALIKU (since 22 August 1991)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the king
Note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the king and the Cabinet
Elections: none; the king is a constitutional monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed for life by the king

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats_12 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
Elections: last held 24-25 January 1996 (next to be held NA February 1999)
Election results: percent of vote_NA; seats_7 proreform, 2 traditionalist

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the king; Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of the Supreme Court sits as the Court of Appeal

International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Tonga does not have an embassy in the US; Ambassador Akosita FINEANGANOFO, resides in London
In the us consulates general: San Francisco
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the 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

Economy overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which contributes 32% to GDP. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The industrial sector accounts for only 10% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings; the country also remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to offset its trade deficit. The economy grew at a declining rate in 1993-96. The government has been turning its attention to further development of the private sector and the reduction of the budget deficit.

Real gdp growth rate: 1% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $2,250 (1996 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 32%
Industry: 10%
Services: 58% (1996)

Agriculture products: coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish

Industries: tourism, fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (FY95/96)

Labor force
Total: 36,665 (1994)
By occupation: agriculture 65% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 11.8% (FY93/94)

Budget
Revenues: $49 million
Expenditures: $120 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (FY96/97 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July_30 June

Exports: total value:$15.3 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: squash, fish, vanilla, root crops, coconut oil
Partners: Japan 43%, US 19%, Canada 14%, NZ 5%, Australia 5% (1996 est.)

Imports: total value:$82.9 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: food products, live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels, chemicals
Partners: NZ 34%, Australia 16%, US 10%, UK 8%, Japan 6% (1996 est.)

Debt external: $70 million (1995)

Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1: 1.3112 (November 1997), 1.2323 (1996), 1.2709 (1995), 1.3202 (1994), 1.3841 (1993)

Electricity
Capacity: 7,000 kW (1995)
Production: 30 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 284 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 6,000 (1994 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: NA
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 6 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine
Total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,278 GRT/16,441 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)

Disputes international: none