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.

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S 175 00 W

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 747 km²
Rank: 189
Land: 717 km²
Water: 30 km²
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: 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 1033 m

Natural resources: fish fertile soil

Land use
Arable land: 20%
Permanent crops: 14.67%
Other: 65.33% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

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

Geography
Note: archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

Population: 120,898 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 188
Growth rate: 1.482% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 92
Below poverty line: 24% (FY03/04)

Nationality
Noun: Tongan
Adjective: Tongan

Ethnic groups: Polynesian Europeans

Languages: Tongan English

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.8%
15-64 years: 62.9% (male 37,837/female 38,166)
65 years and over: 4.3% (male 2,163/female 3,034) (2009 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.3 years
Male: 21.8 years
Female: 22.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.482% (2009 est.)
Rank: 92

Birth rate: 19.84 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 100

Death rate: 5.02 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 190

Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)

Urbanization
Urban population: 25% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.58 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 147
Male: 12.74 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.35 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.73 years
Rank: 140
Male: 68.18 years
Female: 73.41 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.25 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 112

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

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2004)
Rank: 71

Literacy
Definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
Total population: 98.9%
Male: 98.8%
Female: 99% (1999 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 13 years (2004)

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

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital
Name: Nuku'alofa
Geographic coordinates: 21 08 S 175 12 W
Time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday: Emancipation Day 4 June (1970)

Constitution: 4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967

Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King George TUPOU V
Head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Feleti SEVELE (since 11 February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Viliami TANGI (since 16 May 2006)
Cabinet: Cabinet consists of 14 members 10 appointed by the monarch for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly including 2 each from the nobles' and peoples' representatives serving three-year terms
Note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch the cabinet and 2 governors
Elections: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio 9 for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles and 9 elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
Elections: last held on 23-24 April 2008 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - independents 54% THRDM 28% PDP 14%; seats - THRDM 4 independents 3 PDP 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen and approved by Privy Council)

Political parties and leaders: Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM [Uliti UATA]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Viliami MALOLO
In the us chancery: 250 East 51st Street New York NY 10,022
In the us telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025
In the us fax: [1] (917) 369-1024
In the us consulate 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: Tonga has a small open South Pacific island economy. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash vanilla beans and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports including fish make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. Tonga had 41,000 visitors in 2004. 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. High unemployment among the young a continuing upturn in inflation pressures for democratic reform and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 212
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 186

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 145
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 25%
Industry: 17%
Services: 57% (FY05/06 est.)

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

Industries: tourism construction fishing

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2003 est.)
Rank: 122

Labor force: 39,960 (2007)
Rank: 189
By occupation agriculture: 31.8%
By occupation industry: 30.6%
By occupation services: 37.6% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 13% (FY03/04 est.)
Rank: 143

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

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

Budget
Revenues: $80.48 million
Expenditures: $109.8 million (FY07/08 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.9% (2007 est.)
Rank: 100

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 12.16% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 68

Stock of domestic credit:

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$23 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 66

Exports: $22 million (2006)
Rank: 203
Commodities: squash fish vanilla beans root crops
Partners: US 29.6% Japan 12% NZ 12% Fiji 7.1% Samoa 6% Australia 4.8% South Korea 4.4% Hong Kong 4.3% (2008)

Imports: $139 million (2006)
Rank: 204
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and transport equipment fuels chemicals
Partners: Fiji 36.8% NZ 23.9% US 9.3% Australia 8.8% China 4.9% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $40.83 million (yearend FY04/05)
Rank: 153

Debt external: $80.7 million (2004)
Rank: 189

Exchange rates: pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - NA (2007) 2.0277 (2006) 1.96 (2005) 1.9716 (2004) 2.142 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 43 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 199
Consumption: 39.99 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 199
Exports: 0 kWh (2008)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 124
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 131
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 104
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 127
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 130

Telephones
Main lines in use: 25,500 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 183
Mobile cellular: 50,500 (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 193

Telephone system
General assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT granted approval to introduce high-speed digital service for telephone Internet and television while TCC has exclusive rights to operate the mobile-phone network; international telecom services are provided by government-owned Tonga Telecommunications International (TTI)
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 60 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switched network
International: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)

Internet
Country code: .to
Hosts: 20,107 (2009)
Hosts rank: 104
Users: 8,400 (2008)
Users rank: 201

Military expenditures: 0.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Rank: 144

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)

Airports: 6 (2009)
Rank: 171
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2009)
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 (2009)

Roadways
Total: 680 km
Rank: 188
Paved: 184 km
Unpaved: 496 km (2000)

Merchant marine
Total: 13
Rank: 109
By type: bulk carrier 1 cargo 8 carrier 1 liquefied gas 1 passenger/cargo 1 refrigerated cargo 1
Foreign owned: 4 (Australia 1 Cyprus 1 Switzerland 1 UK 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Nuku'alofa

Disputes international: none