Background: In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name '.tv' for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period. The agreement was subsequently renegotiated but details were not disclosed. Tuvalu will host the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in August 2019.

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 26 km²
Land: 26 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 238
Comparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 24 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 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
Mean elevation: 2 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources: fish, coconut (copra)

Land use
Agricultural land: 60% (2011 est.)
Forest: 33.3% (2011 est.)
Other: 6.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

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

Population
Distribution: over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti: 11,147 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 222
Growth rate: 0.86% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 124
Below poverty line: 26.3% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tuvaluan(s)
Adjective: Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups: Tuvaluan 86.8%, Tuvaluan/I-Kiribati 5.6%, Tuvaluan/other 6.7%, other 0.9% (2012 est.)

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

Religions: Protestant 92.4% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.7%, Brethren 3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.8%, Assemblies of God .9%), Baha'i 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Mormon 1%, other 3.1%, none 0.2% (2012 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 29.32% (male 1675 /female 1593)
15-24 years: 18.63% (male 1078 /female 999)
25-54 years: 36.91% (male 2,080 /female 2,034)
55-64 years: 8.86% (male 404 /female 584)
65 years and over: 6.28% (male 274 /female 426) (2018 est.)

Median age
Total: 26 years (2018 est.)
Male: 25 years
Female: 27.2 years
Rank: 152

Population growth rate: 0.86% (2018 est.)
Rank: 124

Birth rate: 23.7 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 55

Death rate: 8.4 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 82

Net migration rate: -6.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 206

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 63.2% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.27% annual rate of change

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, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.69 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 28.2 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 30.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 25.7 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 66

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.2 years (2018 est.)
Male: 65 years
Female: 69.5 years
Rank: 173

Total fertility rate: 2.93 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 56

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.7% of population
Rural: 3% of population
Total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 15.5% (2016)

Physicians density: 0.92 physicians/1000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 13.7% of population (2012 est.)
Rural: 19.8% of population (2012 est.)
Total: 16.7% of population (2012 est.)

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

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 51.6% (2016)
Rank: 5

Education expenditures
Note: NA

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 countrys 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)

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

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 (2017)

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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Iakoba TAEIA Italeli (since 16 April 2010)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kausea NATANO (since 19 September 2019)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: 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 September 2023)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16 (9 members reelected)

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: none; the Tuvalu Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the Embassy; it is headed by Samuelu LALONIU (since 21 July 2017); address: 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1104, New York, NY 10,017; telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534; FAX: [1] (212) 808-4,975
From the us: 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)
Lyricsmusic: Afaese MANOA: note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto

Economy overview: Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. Only eight of the atolls are inhabited. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, with its highest point at 4.6 meters above sea level. The country is isolated, almost entirely dependent on imports, particularly of food and fuel, and vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels, which pose significant challenges to development.The public sector dominates economic activity. Tuvalu has few natural resources, except for its fisheries. Earnings from fish exports and fishing licenses for Tuvalu’s territorial waters are a significant source of government revenue. In 2013, revenue from fishing licenses doubled and totaled more than 45% of GDP.Official aid from foreign development partners has also increased. Tuvalu has substantial assets abroad. The Tuvalu Trust Fund, an international trust fund established in 1987 by development partners, has grown to $104 million (A$141 million) in 2014 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. While remittances are another substantial source of income, the value of remittances has declined since the 2008-09 global financial crisis, but has stabilized at nearly $4 million per year. The financial impact of climate change and the cost of climate related adaptation projects is one of many concerns for the nation.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 226

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 107

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 180

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; fish

Industries: fishing

Industrial production growth rate: -26.1% (2012 est.)
Rank: 202

Labor force: 3,615 (2004 est.)
Rank: 225
Note: most people make a living through exploitation of the sea reefs and atolls; and through overseas remittances (mostly from workers in the phosphate-industry and sailors)

Unemployment rate: NA

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

Budget
Revenues: 42.68 million (2013 est.)
Expenditures: 32.46 million (2012 est.): note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia
Surplus or deficit: 25.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 1

Taxes and other revenues:
Rank: 1

Public debt:
Rank: 142

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 162

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 79

Market value of publicly traded shares: $0 (2014)
Rank: 124

Current account balance:
Rank: 65

Exports:
Rank: 220
Partners: US 18.2%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 17%, Fiji 14.8%, Nigeria 14.2%, Germany 8.2%, South Africa 5.9%, Colombia 5.1% (2017)
Commodities: copra, fish

Imports:
Rank: 75
Commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Partners: Singapore 33.4%, South Korea 11.5%, Australia 10.8%, NZ 8%, Fiji 7.5%, Chile 6.1%, South Africa 5%, Japan 5% (2017)

Debt external: NA

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 99.4% (2016)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2016)
Access electrification rural areas: 98.5% (2016)
Production: 11.8 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 214
Exports: 0 kWh (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 212
Imports: 0 kWh (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 214
Installed generating capacity: 5,100 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 212
Generation sources fossil fuels: 96% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 43
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2014)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 202
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2014)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 209

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 210
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 210
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 208
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 208

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 211
Products exports: 0 bbl/day
Products exports rank: 212

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 209
Consumption: 0 m³ (2014)
Consumption rank: 209
Exports: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 204
Imports: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 205

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 213
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 7,600
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 69 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 213

Telephone system
General assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications; small global scale of 10,000 people on 9 inhabited islands; mobile subscriber penetration at 40% and broadband at 10% penetration; govt owned and sole provider of telecommunications services; satellite technology; hopeful future 5-year contract to improve high speed Internet for schools, hospitals and banks; 3G not launched yet (2018)
Domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands; fixed-line 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular 69 per 100 (2018)
International: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite

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: 5,042
Users percent of population: 46% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 214

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1000
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2017 est.)
Rank: 193

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2012)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: T2 (2016)

Airports: 1 (2013)
Rank: 237
With unpaved runways total: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)

Roadways
Total: 8 km (2011)
Paved: 8 km (2011)
Rank: 214

Merchant marine
Total: 254
By type: bulk carrier 24, container ship 1, general cargo 41, oil tanker 25, other 163 (2018)
Rank: 58

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Funafuti

Disputes international: none