www.gipsymoth.org

home > Interactive Voyage Chart > Voyage Location

Tonga

	Map
Official Name: Kingdom of Tonga National Anthem: Capital: Nuku'alofa, population 21,300 (1986 estimate) Area: 747 Sq Km (288 Sq Mi) Estimated 2000 Population:102,321 Location: 20°00′S 175°00′W Time Zone UTC +13 Time Now

Tonga is an archipelago located in the South West Pacific Ocean. The territory comprises 169 islands, of which 39 are inhabited. Major Cities (pop. est.); Nuku'alofa 21,000, Mu'a 4,100, Neiafu 4,000 (1986). Land Use; forested 11%, pastures 6%, agricultural-cultivated 67%, other 16% (1993).

The archipelago consists of two parallel island chains. The western chain which are of volcanic origin with limestone formations and the eastern chain of uplifted coral formations. Except for creeks on the island of 'Eua and a stream on Niuatoputapu there is no running water on any of the islands.

MORE

Tonga has a subtropical climate characterized by warm period from December to April and a cool period from May to November, with most rainfall occurring during the warm period. Average annual precipitation is 1,680 mm (66 inches) and the prevailing winds are the SW trade winds. Average temperature ranges in Nuku'alofa are from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius (64 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) in July to 23 to 29 degrees Celsius (73 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit) in February).

Tonga Weather Now

The principal ethnic majority are the Tongans, who are of pure Polynesian origin with only a trace of Melanesian traits and account for 96% of the population while Europeans and mixed Europeans account for the remainder. Around 68% of the population live on the main island of Tongatapu.

Almost two-thirds of the population of the Kingdom of Tonga live on its main island, Tongatapu. Although an increasing number of Tongans have moved into the only urban and commercial centre, Nuku'alofa, where European and indigenous cultural and living patterns have blended, village life and kinship ties continue to be important throughout the country. Everyday life is heavily influenced by Polynesian traditions and especially by the Christian faith; for example, all commerce and entertainment activities cease from midnight Saturday until midnight Sunday, and the constitution declares the Sabbath to be sacred, forever.

Tongans, a Polynesian group with a very small mixture of Melanesian, represent more than 98% of the inhabitants. The rest are European, mixed European, and other Pacific Islanders. There also are several hundred Chinese.

Density; 129 persons per sq km (334 persons per sq ml) (1991). Urban-Rural; 30.7% urban, 69.3% rural (1986). Sex Distribution; 50.3% male, 49.7% female (1986). Life Expectancy at Birth; 61.0 years male, 64.8 years female (1985). Age Breakdown; 41% under 15, 29% 15 to 29, 14% 30 to 44, 10% 45 to 59, 5% 60 to 74, 1% 75 and over (1986). Birth Rate; 30.7 per 1,000 (1991). Death Rate; 6.4 per 1,000 (1991). Increase Rate; 24.3 per 1,000 (1991). Infant Mortality Rate; 49.0 per 1,000 live births (1988).

MORE

Tongans also have universal access to a socialized medicine system. Tongan land is constitutionally protected and cannot be sold to foreigners (although it may be leased). While there is a land shortage on the urbanized main island of Tongatapu (where 60% of the population resides), there is farm land available in the rural islands. The majority of the population engages in some form of subsistence production of food, with approximately half producing almost all of their basic food needs through farming, sea harvesting, and animal husbandry. Women and men have equal access to education and health care, and are fairly equal in employment, but women are discriminated against in land holding, electoral politics, and government ministries.

There is a pro-democracy movement in Tonga, which emphasises reforms including better representation in the Parliament for the majority commoners, and better accountability in matters of state. An overthrow of the monarchy itself is not part of the movement and the institution of monarchy continues to hold popular support, even while reforms are advocated. Until recently, the governance issue was generally ignored by the leaders of other countries, but major aid donors and neighbours New Zealand and Australia are now expressing concerns about some Tongan government actions.

Following the precedents of Queen Salote, and with numerous international advisors, the government of Tonga under King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV has monetized the economy, internationalized the medical and education system, and enabled access by commoners to increasing forms of material wealth (houses, cars, and other commodities), education, and overseas travel. The government has supported Olympic and other international sports competition, and contributed Peacekeepers to the United Nations (notably to Bougainville). The Tongan government also supported the American 'coalition of the willing' action in Iraq, and a small number of Tongan soldiers were deployed, as part of an American force, to Iraq in late 2004. However, the contingent of 40+ troops returned home on December 17, 2004.

King Taufa'ahau and his government have made some problematic economic decisions, and are accused of millions of dollars in incompetent spending. The problems have mostly been related to trying to increase national revenues through odd-ball schemes. This has included searching for oil (despite geological reports indicating no possible oil), considering making Tonga a nuclear waste disposal site (an idea floated in the mid-90s by the current crown prince), selling Tongan Protected Persons Passports (which eventually forced Tonga to nationalize the purchasers, sparking ethnicity based concerns within Tonga), registering foreign ships (which proved to be engaged in illegal activities), claiming geo-orbital satellite slots (the revenue from which seems to belong to the Princess Royale, not the state), holding a long-term charter on an unusable Boeing 757 (that was sidelined in Auckland Airport), building an airport hotel and potential casino with an Interpol-accused criminal, and approving a factory for exporting cigarettes to China (against the advice of Tongan medical officials, and decades of health promotion messaging). The King has proved vulnerable to speculators with big promises, and lost several million (reportedly $US26) on a financial advisor who called himself the King's Court Jester. The police have imprisoned pro-democracy leaders, and the government repeatedly confiscated the newspaper The Tongan Times (which was printed in New Zealand and sold in Tonga) because the editor had been vocally critical of the King's mistakes. Notably, the Kele'a, produced specifically to critique the government and printed in Tonga by pro-democracy leader 'Akilisi Pohiva, was not banned during that time. Pohiva however, had been subjected to harassment in the form of frequent lawsuits.

In mid-2003, the government passed a radical constitutional amendment to "Tonganize" the press, by licensing and limiting freedom of the press, so as to protect the image of the monarchy. The amendment was defended by government and royalists on the basis of traditional cultural values. Licensure criteria include 80% ownership by Tongans living in the country. As of February 2004, those papers denied licenses under the new act included the Taimi 'o Tonga (Tongan Times), the Kele'a and the Matangi Tonga, while those which were permitted licenses were uniformly church based or pro-government. The bill was opposed, in the form of a several-thousand-strong protest march in the capital, a call by the Tu'i Pelehake (a prince, nephew of the King and elected member of parliament) for Australia and other nations to pressure the Tongan government to democratize the electoral system, and a legal writ calling for a judicial investigation of the bill. The latter was supported by some 160 signatories, including seven of the nine elected "People's Representatives". The strong-arm tactics and gaffes have overshadowed the good the now aged king has done in his lifetime, as well as the many beneficial reforms of his popular son and Prime Minister, 'Ulukalala Lavaka 'Ata. The Crown Prince, Tupouto'a, and Pilolevu, the Princess Royale, remained generally silent on the issue. In total, the changes threatened to destabilize the polity, fraction support for the status quo, and place further pressure on the monarchy.

In 2005 the government spent several weeks negotiating with striking civil service workers before reaching a settlement. The civil rest that insued was not limited to just Tonga; protests outside the King's New Zealand residence reached news headlines. A constitutional commission is currently (2005-06) studying proposals to update the constitution.

MORE

Kings and queens of modern Tonga

1. George Tupou I (1875-1893)
2. George Tupou II (1893-1918)
3. Salote Tupou III (Queen) (1918-1965)
4. Taufa'ahau Tupou IV (1965- )

Mostly Christians with 61% of the population Protestant while 16% are Roman Catholic.

The official languages are English and Tongan. Tongan is a member of the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages while English is also widely understood.

Tonga's education system is free and mandatory for all children up to age twelve, with very nominal fees for secondary education, and foreign-funded scholarships for post-secondary education. Tongans are well-educated, with a 98% literacy rate, and higher education up to and including medical and graduate degrees.

Aged 25 or over and having attained: no formal schooling 0.4%, incomplete primary 37.3%, primary 12.4%, lower secondary 45.6%, upper secondary 0.1%, higher 0.7% (1976). Literacy; literate population aged 15 or over 46,456 or 92.8% (1976).

In 1965 Queen Salote Tupou III died and Prince Tungi was crowned King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV. In 1970 Tonga gained complete independence from Britain and joined the Commonwealth. Since independence Tonga has worked to modernize and encourage foreign investment. During 1990 revelations of government corruption surfaced with confirmation that the government had been selling passports to wealthy Chinese from Hong Kong and Taiwan since 1986. In 1991 there were demonstrations by protesters calling for the cancellation of 426 passports that had been issued as the government moved to validate the passport sales with legislation. On July 4, 1991 a new terminal at Fua'amotu on Tongatapu was opened.

In Aug. 1991 Prince Tu'ipelehake resigned as Prime Minister after 25 years in office and was succeeded by Baron Vaea, the King's cousin. In 1992 the government announced that its first satellite would be launched in 1993 while the private sector unsuccessfully attempted to oppose legislation that imposed a 0.7% currency tax on all foreign exchange transactions. In Feb. 1993 general elections resulted in pro-democracy candidates winning 6 of the 9 directly elected seats with the other seats held by the King, his Cabinet and hereditary nobles. On July 4, 1993 Tonga celebrated the King's 75th birthday and the 25th anniversary of his reign.

MORE

The official currency is the Palanga (P) divided into 100 Seniti.

Tonga's economy is characterized by a large nonmonetary sector and a heavy dependence on remittances from the half of the country's population that lives abroad, chiefly in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Much of the monetary sector of the economy is dominated, if not owned, by the royal family and nobles. This is particularly true of the telecommunications and satellite services. Much of small business, particularly retail establishments on Tongatapu, is now dominated by recent Chinese immigrants who arrived under a cash-for-passports scheme ended in 1998.

The manufacturing sector consists of handicrafts and a few other very smallscale industries, all of which contribute only about 3% of GDP. Commercial business activities also are inconspicuous and, to a large extent, are dominated by the same large trading companies found throughout the South Pacific. In September 1974, the country's first commercial trading bank, the Bank of Tonga, opened.

Rural Tongans rely on plantation and subsistence agriculture. Coconuts, vanilla beans, and bananas are the major cash crops. The processing of coconuts into copra and desiccated coconut is the only significant industry. Pigs and poultry are the major types of livestock. Horses are kept for draft purposes, primarily by farmers working their api. More cattle are being raised, and beef imports are declining.

Tonga's development plans emphasize a growing private sector, upgrading agricultural productivity, revitalizing the squash and vanilla bean industries, developing tourism, and improving the island's communications and transportation systems. Substantial progress has been made, but much work remains to be done. A small but growing construction sector is developing in response to the inflow of aid monies and remittances from Tongans abroad. The copra industry is plagued by world prices that have been depressed for years.

Efforts are being made to discover ways to diversify. One hope is seen in fisheries; tests have shown that sufficient skipjack tuna pass through Tongan waters to support a fishing industry. Another potential development activity is exploitation of forests, which cover 35% of the kingdom's land area but are decreasing as land is cleared. Coconut trees past their prime bearing years also provide a potential source of lumber.

The tourist industry is relatively undeveloped; however, the government recognizes that tourism can play a major role in economic development, and efforts are being made to increase this source of revenue. Cruise ships often stop in Nuku'alofa and Vava'u.

In 2005 the country became a member of the World Trade Organization.

MORE

Railroads; nil. Roads; length 433 km (269 mi) (1990). Vehicles; cars 1,433 (1989), trucks and buses 2,784 (1989). Merchant Marine; vessels 18 (1990), deadweight tonnage 50,052 (1990). Air Transport; passenger-km 5,897,000 (3,664,000 passenger-mi) (1990), cargo ton-km 12,000 (8,219 short ton-mi) (1990).

MORE

Daily Newspapers; total of 1 with a circulation of 7,000 (1992). Radio; receivers 52,000 (1994). Television; receivers 2,500 (1994). Telephones; units 5,900 (1993). MORE

300 (1991) national police-defense force while military expenditure accounts for 4.9% (1989) of the Gross National Product (GNP). MORE

Link - Provides detailed information and statistics on Geography, People, Government, Economy, Communications, Transportation, Military and Transnational Issues..

Link - World Bank Dat Profile provides key statistical information on People, Environment, Economy, Technology Infrastructure, Trade & Finance.

Link - link to a Wikipedia page providing a wealth of information from History and Culture through to Politics and Religion.

Link - link to the latest New Headlines for this country.

Link - link to GE Source World Guide providing country profile, demographics, economic data, satellite images.

CIA World Factbook: Tonga

Interactive maps of Tonga

Official Tongan Government Portal

Matangi Tonga online-- news from Tonga