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Tonga which straddle the international date line, lie compacted coral. The two main ports are at to the east of the Tonga Trench, containing Nuku’alofa and Neiafu, and have shipping some of the deepest waters of the South connections with Australia and Europe. Pacific. The main island sub-groups are Ferries run between the islands. Tongatapu, Vava’u and Ha’apai. The largest International airports are located at island is Tongatapu. Fua’amotu (21 km south-east of Nuku’alofa) Area: 748 sq km; Tongatapu 256 sq km. and at Lupepau’u on Vava’u. Topography: Of the 172 islands, only 36 are permanently inhabited. The islands to the Society east are of coral formation, the Lifuka and KEY FACTS 2013 Nomuka groups with many small coral islands and reefs. The islands to the west are Population per sq km: 140 volcanic. There are active volcanoes on four Life expectancy: 73 years of the islands, including Tofua Island whose Net primary enrolment: 90% crater is filled with hot water. Falcon, an active volcano under the sea, sends up lava Population: 105,000 (2013); 24 per cent of and ash from time to time. people live in urban areas; growth 0.4 per cent p.a. 1990–2013; birth rate 25 per 1,000 Climate: Hot and humid from January to people (37 in 1970); life expectancy 73 years March; cooler from April to December. (65 in 1970). Cyclones may occur November to April. The vast majority of the people are of Environment: The most significant Polynesian descent. Tonga suffers from heavy environmental issues are deforestation, emigration, mostly to New Zealand, Australia damage to coral reefs by excessive coral and and the USA. There are 50,478 Tongans living shell harvesting, and depletion of sea turtle in New Zealand, more than half of whom populations by hunters. were born there (2006 New Zealand census). Vegetation: Tongatapu island is flat and Language: Tongan and English are official covered in small agricultural plantations with languages. coconut trees and other crops. Eua island is hilly and partly forested. The Vava’u Islands Religion: Mainly Christians (Wesleyans, are densely wooded. Coconut palms grow Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Church of along the coastline and cover some of the Tonga, Free Church of Tonga). coral islands. Forest covers 13 per cent of the Health: Public spending on health was five KEY FACTS total land area and there was no significant per cent of GDP in 2012. There are public loss of forest cover during 1990–2012. Joined Commonwealth: 1970 hospitals on the islands of Tongatapu, Population: 105,000 (2013) Wildlife: Tonga was the first South Pacific Ha’apai and Vava’u, and dispensaries country to initiate a conservation programme, throughout the islands. Some 99 per cent of GDP p.c. growth: 1.6% p.a. 1990–2013 with a series of marine and forest reserves. the population uses an improved drinking UN HDI 2014: World ranking 100 The only land mammal indigenous to Tonga water source and 91 per cent have access to Official languages: Tongan, English is the ‘flying fox’, actually a large fruit bat adequate sanitation facilities (2012). Over with a wingspan of up to one metre. It Time: GMT plus 13 hrs time, the Tongan diet has moved away from occurs in a large colony near the village of traditional root crops to imported foods. Currency: Pa’anga or Tongan dollar (TOP; T$) Kolovai on Tongatapu. Birds include the red- Infant mortality was ten per 1,000 live births breasted musk parrot and the blue-crowned in 2013. lory, said to be the most beautiful bird of the Geography Education: There are nine years of Pacific. Area: 748 sq km compulsory education starting at the age of Main towns: Nuku’alofa (capital, pop. Coastline: 419 km six. Primary school comprises six years and 24,229 in 2011), Mu’a (5,200), Tofoa–Koloua secondary six, with cycles of four and two Capital: Nuku’alofa (3,526), Haveloloto (3,465) and Vaini (3,235) years. More than 95 per cent of primary The Kingdom of Tonga, known as ‘The on Tongatapu; Neiafu (4,051) on Vava’u; students attend state schools, while about 90 Friendly Islands’, lies in the central south-west Pangai (2,055) on Lifuka in the Ha’apai group per cent of secondary students attend church Pacific, surrounded (clockwise from the west) of islands; and Ohonua (1,528) on Eua. schools. Some 90 per cent of pupils complete by Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa, Cook Islands Transport: There are 680 km of roads, 27 primary school (2005). The school year starts and, to the south, New Zealand. The islands, per cent paved and the rest surfaced with in February. The CommonwealTh Yearbook 2015 Tonga Tonga is a partner in the regional University 1997–2006), but slowed from the mid- Real growth in GDP of the South Pacific, which has its main 2000s, facing the challenges of high debt, % campus in Suva, Fiji, and a campus at ’Atele, 3.5 low private investment and the world about 7 km from Nuku’alofa, where some 3.0 economic downturn of 2008–09, when 1,400 students are enrolled each semester for remittances fell and tourism was subdued. 2.5 preliminary, foundation and degree courses, Growth of about three per cent p.a. resumed using the university’s distance-learning 2.0 in 2009–11, moderating to 0.8 per cent in facilities. Literacy among people aged 15–24 2012, 0g.5 pe r cen t in 2013 and an estimated 1.5 is 99 per cent (2006). 2.4 per cent in 201 4. 1.0 Media: Newspapers include Tonga Chronicle (state-owned weekly), and Times of Tonga 0.5 History (published in New Zealand). Matangi Tonga is 0.0 Tonga was inhabited 3,000 years ago. The an online news service. 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 country is a very old Polynesian monarchy – Tonga Broadcasting Commission provides its royal family goes back more than 1,000 Inflation public radio and TV services; there are several years – with an old and well-developed private radio stations and a cable TV channel. % 8 social and political system. Occasional There are 59 personal computers per 1,000 7 Europeans visited it from early in the 17th people (2005). 6 century CE: it was sighted by the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman in 1643 and later 5 Communications: Country code 676; visited by the British explorer Captain James internet domain ‘.to’. Mobile phone coverage 4 Cook. The first larger-scale arrival was in is limited to Nuku’alofa. There are several 3 1826, when Wesleyan missionaries landed internet cafes in Nuku’alofa and Neiafu. The and began a highly successful conversion main post office is in Nuku’alofa, with 2 campaign. Civil wars raged between branches on Ha’apai and Vava’u. 1 Christian and non-Christian factions until 0 For every 1,000 people there are 294 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Taufa’ahau Tupou, ruler of the island of landlines, 546 mobile phone subscriptions Ha’apai and a Christian convert, gained and 350 internet users (2013). control of and united the islands, GDP by sector (2013) Public holidays: New Year’s Day, ANZAC becoming, in 1845, King George Tupou I Day (25 April), Emancipation Day (4 June), (1845–93) and adopting the country’s first King’s Birthday (4 July), Crown Prince’s Agriculture constitution. 19.9% Birthday (17 September), Constitution Day (4 Tonga was never a British colony. In 1900, the November), Tupou I Day (4 December), Industry King agreed a treaty of friendship with 18.2% Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Britain, which gave Britain control of foreign Services Religious festivals whose dates vary from year affairs, and kept Tonga free from other 62.0% to year include Good Friday and Easter predatory powers. The treaty was frequently Monday. revised until May 1970, when Tonga became fully independent. increasingly, fish products are, nonetheless, Economy the most important exports, and squash King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV succeeded his remains more profitable than traditional crops mother, Queen Salote Tupou III, on her death KEY FACTS 2013 such as copra and bananas. in 1965. GNI: US$479m The main source of foreign currency is the From 1990 a pro-democracy movement GNI p.c.: US$4,490 remittances of Tongans living abroad, followed gathered strength, challenging Tonga’s GDP growth: 2.2% p.a. 2009–13 by tourism. The government has recognised political system which endeavoured to combine its 1,000 year-old feudal system Inflation: 2.6% p.a. 2009–13 the need for economic reforms to expand the with democracy. Elections did not result in private sector and diversify the economy and The economy is dominated by subsistence any changes in the executive and only a small has worked to gain public – and especially civil agriculture, and economic performance is number of members of the Legislative service – acceptance of the need. heavily dependent on weather conditions and Assembly were elected. The country did not, world commodity prices. However, the formal From the late 1990s the economy continued in consequence, have a developed party money economy has been growing as to grow steadily (2.2 per cent p.a., political system. farmers have moved towards production of cash crops, some of which are exported, for Tonga on the international stage example squash, which from the early 1990s was exported to Japan. Tonga won two bronze medals for boxing in the 2010 Commonwealth Games – Lomalito This very success, though, illustrates the Moala and Uaine Fa claiming their medals in the 60 kg and over 91 kg categories respectively.