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
Water: 30 km²
Land: 718 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
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 23.61%
Permanent crops: 43.06%
Other: 33.33% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Geography
Note: archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

Population: 108,141 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 1.9% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Tongan
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: 38.2% (male 21,085; female 20,265)
15-64 years: 57.6% (male 30,785; female 31,532)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,973; female 2,501) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.8 years
Male: 19.3 years
Female: 20.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.9% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 24.51 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 5.54 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.35 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.89 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 14.75 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.88 years
Male: 66.43 years
Female: 71.44 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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: 3 island groups; Ha'apai Tongatapu Vava'u

Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday: Independence 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)
Note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the Cabinet, and two governors
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch
Cabinet: Cabinet, appointed by the monarch, consists of 12 members
Head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since NA February 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Tevita TOPOU (since NA January 2001)

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 7 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)
Election results: percent of vote - pro-democratic 70%; seats - pro-democratic 7, traditionalist 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of the Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders: there are no political parties

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sonatane T. T. TUPOU
In the us chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10,022
In the us telephone: [1] (917) 369-1136
In the us consulates general: San Francisco
In the us fax: [1] (917) 369-1024
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: Tonga has a small open economy with a narrow export base in agricultural goods. 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. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector especially the encouragement of investment and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services.

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 26%
Industry: 12%
Services: 62% (2001 est.)

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

Industries: tourism fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 8.6% (FY 98/99)

Labor force: 33,908 (1996)
By occupation: agriculture 65% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 13.3% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $39.9 million
Expenditures: $52.4 million, including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY 99/00 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.4% (2001 est.)

Exports: $8.9 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: squash fish vanilla beans root crops
Partners: Japan 43.2% US 41.2% Greece 4% (2002)

Imports: $70 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and transport equipment fuels chemicals
Partners: New Zealand 30.8% Fiji 20.7% US 14.2% Australia 13.2% China 6.1% (2002)

Debt external: $57.5 million (June 2001)

Exchange rates: pa'anga per US dollar NA (2002) 2.12 (2001) 1.76 (2000) 1.6 (1999) 1.49 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 27.27 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 25.36 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 8,000 (1996)
Mobile cellular: 302 (1996)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: NA
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (1996)

Internet
Country code: .to
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 1000 (2000)

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

Airports: 6 (2002)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2002)
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 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 78 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 250,020 GRT/350,055 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 44, chemical tanker 4, container 1, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 2, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 1, Australia 4, Austria 1, Bolivia 1, Cyprus 1, Djibouti 1, Egypt 2, Greece 4, Lebanon 2, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 2, Morocco 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Romania 3, Russia 1, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 3, Syria 5, Ukraine 1, UAE 16, US 4 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: none