:Tonga Geography

Total area:
    748 km2
Land area:
    718 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    419 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    no specific limits
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
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%
Environment:
    archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to cyclones (October to
    April); deforestation
Note:
    located about 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about two-thirds of
    the way between Hawaii and New Zealand

:Tonga People

Population:
    103,114 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
    26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -11 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    22 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    65 years male, 70 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    3.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Tongan(s); adjective - Tongan
Ethnic divisions:
    Polynesian; about 300 Europeans
Religions:
    Christian; Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents
Languages:
    Tongan, English
Literacy:
    100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can read and write a simple
    message in Tongan or English (1976)
Labor force:
    NA; 70% agriculture; 600 engaged in mining
Organized labor:
    none

:Tonga Government

Long-form name:
    Kingdom of Tonga
Type:
    hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital:
    Nuku`alofa
Administrative divisions:
    three island groups; Ha`apai, Tongatapu, Vava`u
Independence:
    4 June 1970 (from UK; formerly Friendly Islands)
Constitution:
    4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
Legal system:
    based on English law
National holiday:
    Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Executive branch:
    monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
    (cabinet), Privy Council
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court
Leaders:
  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)
Political parties and leaders:
    Democratic Reform Movement, 'Akilisi POHIVA
Suffrage:
    all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21
Elections:
  Legislative Assembly:
    last held 14-15 February 1990 (next to be held NA February 1993); results -
    percent of vote NA; seats - (29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3
    traditionalist
Member of:
    ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL,
    IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Siosaia a'Ulupekotofa TUITA resides in London
  US:
    the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to
    Tonga and makes periodic visits
Flag:
    red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side
    corner

:Tonga Economy

Overview:
    The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor
    force and contributes 50% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are
    the main crops and make up two-thirds of 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 island remains dependent on sizable external aid
    and remittances to offset its trade deficit.
GDP:
    exchange rate conversion - $92 million, per capita $900; real growth rate
    2.5% (FY90 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    8.9% (third quarter 1991)
Unemployment rate:
    NA%
Budget:
    revenues $30.6 million; expenditures $48.9 million, including capital
    expenditures of $22.5 million (FY89 est.)
Exports:
    $9.6 million (f.o.b., FY90 est.)
  commodities:
    coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans,
    fruits, vegetables, fish
  partners:
    NZ 35%, Australia 22%, US 13%, Fiji 5% (FY90)
Imports:
    $59.9 million (c.i.f., FY90 est.)
  commodities:
    food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels,
    chemicals
  partners:
    NZ 30%, Australia 23%, US 12%, Japan 7% (FY90)
External debt:
    $42.0 million (FY89)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 15% (FY86); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity:
    6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
    tourism, fishing
Agriculture:
    dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa,
    coffee, ginger, black pepper
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million; Western (non-US)
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $258 million
Currency:
    pa'anga (plural - pa'anga); 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates:
    pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.2987 (January 1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2809 (1990),
    1.2637 (1989), 1.2799 (1988), 1.4282 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    1 July-30 June

:Tonga Communications

Highways:
    198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vava`u); 94 km unsealed roads usable
    only in dry weather
Ports:
    Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Merchant marine:
    4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,511 GRT/17,816 DWT; includes 2
    cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 liquefied gas
Civil air:
    no major transport aircraft
Airports:
    6 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
    3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    3,529 telephones; 66,000 radios; no TV sets; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no
    FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Tonga Defense Forces

Branches:
    Tonga Defense Force, Tonga Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Royal
    Tongan Guard, Police
Manpower availability:
    NA
Defense expenditures:
    exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP