TONGA
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TONGA
@Tonga:Geography
Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references: Oceania
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TONGA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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NUKU'ALOFA 29,000 21.09S,175.14W 676- GMT+13
Neiafi N/A 18.39S,173.59W 676- GMT+13
Pangai N/A 19.48S,174.21W 676- GMT+13
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Area:
total area: 748 sq km
land area: 718 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than 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
International disputes: none
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
Natural resources: fish, fertile soil
Land use:
arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 55%
meadows and pastures: 6%
forest and woodland: 12%
other: 2%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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
natural hazards: cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic
activity on Fonuafo'ou
international agreements: party to - Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
Test Ban
Note: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)
@Tonga:People
Population: 105,600 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 0.78% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 24.37 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.75 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -9.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.16 years
male: 65.8 years
female: 70.62 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.56 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Tongan(s)
adjective: Tongan
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, Europeans about 300
Religions: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000
adherents)
Languages: Tongan, English
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write simple message in Tongan
or English (1976)
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%
Labor force: NA
by occupation: agriculture 70%, mining (600 engaged in mining)
@Tonga:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga
former: Friendly Islands
Digraph: TN
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)
head of government: Prime Minister Baron VAEA (since 22 August 1991);
Deputy Prime Minister S. Langi KAVALIKU (since 22 August 1991)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the king
Privy Council: consists of the king and the cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral; consists of twelve cabinet ministers
sitting ex-officio, nine nobles selected by the country's thirty-three
nobles, and nine people's representatives elected by the populace
Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea): elections last held 3-4 February
1993 (next to be held NA February 1996); results - percent of vote NA;
seats - (30 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Tonga People's Party, Viliami FUKOFUKA
Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL,
IOC, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US: Ambassador Sione KITE, resides in
London
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
US diplomatic representation: the US has no offices in Tonga; the
ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga
Flag: 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 employs about 70%
of the labor force and contributes 40% 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
manufacturing sector accounts for only 11% of GDP. Tourism is the
primary source of hard currency earnings, but the country also remains
dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to offset its trade
deficit. The economy continued to grow in 1993-94 largely because of a
rise in squash exports, increased aid flows, and several large
construction projects. The government is now turning its attention to
further development of the private sector and the reduction of the
budget deficit.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $214 million (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,050 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1993)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $36.4 million
expenditures: $68.1 million, including capital expenditures of $33.2
million (1991 est.)
Exports: $11.3 million (f.o.b., FY92/93)
commodities: squash, vanilla, fish, root crops, coconut oil
partners: Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY90/91)
Imports: $56 million (c.i.f., FY92/93)
commodities: food products, machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures, fuels, chemicals
partners: NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY90/91)
External debt: $47.5 million (FY90/91)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% (FY91/92); accounts for 11% of
GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 6,000 kW
production: 30 million kWh
consumption per capita: 231 kWh (1993)
Industries: tourism, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and
banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $258 million
Currency: 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.2653 (January 1995), 1.3202
(1994), 1.3841 (1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2800 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Tonga:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways:
total: 366 km
paved: 272 km (198 km on Tongatapu; 74 km on Vava'u)
unpaved: 94 km (usable only in dry weather)
Ports: Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,440 GRT/8,984 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports:
total: 6
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 2
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
@Tonga:Communications
Telephone system: 3,529 telephones
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios: 66,000
Television:
broadcast stations: 0
televisions: NA
@Tonga:Defense Forces
Branches: Tonga Defense Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan
Marines, Tongan Royal Guards, Police
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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