CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Tonga


 * }

!| Background:
 * The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.
 * }


 * }

!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 30 sq km land: 718 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 43.06% other: 33.33% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
 * 20 00 S, 175 00 W
 * Oceania
 * total: 748 sq km
 * four times the size of Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 419 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
 * most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
 * lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
 * fish, fertile soil
 * arable land: 23.61%
 * NA sq km
 * cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou
 * 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
 * party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
 * archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
 * }


 * }

!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 58.7% (male 32,018; female 32,707) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,005; female 2,584) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 19.7 years female: 20.7 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 11.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 14.36 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 66.74 years female: 71.79 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Tongan !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 98.5% male: 98.4% female: 98.7% (1996 est.)
 * 110,237 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 37.1% (male 20,873; female 20,050)
 * total: 20.1 years
 * 1.94% (2004 est.)
 * 24.87 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 5.45 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
 * total: 12.99 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 69.2 years
 * 3 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * noun: Tongan(s)
 * Polynesian, Europeans about 300
 * Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)
 * Tongan, English
 * definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
 * }


 * }

!| Country name: conventional short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the Cabinet, and two governors elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch cabinet: Cabinet, appointed by the monarch, consists of 12 members head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since NA February 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister James C. COCKER (since NA January 2001) !| Legislative branch: elections: last held 7 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%; seats - HRDMT 7, traditionalist 2 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 consulate(s) general: San Francisco FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
 * hereditary constitutional monarchy
 * Nuku'alofa
 * 3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
 * 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
 * Independence Day, 4 June (1970)
 * 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
 * based on English law
 * 21 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
 * unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
 * Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of the Supreme Court)
 * there are no political parties
 * Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chair]
 * ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Sonatane T. T. TUPOU
 * the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga
 * red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
 * }


 * }

!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 12% services: 62% (2002 est.) !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $52.4 million, including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY99/00 est.) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. 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. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High unemployment among the young and the continuing upturn in inflation are major issues facing the government.
 * purchasing power parity - $236 million (2001 est.)
 * 3% (2001 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2001 est.)
 * agriculture: 26%
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 10.3% (2002 est.)
 * 33,910 (1996)
 * agriculture 65% (1997 est.)
 * 13.3% (1996 est.)
 * revenues: $39.9 million
 * squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish
 * tourism, fishing
 * 8.6% (FY98/99)
 * 27.27 million kWh (2001)
 * 25.36 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $27 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
 * squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops
 * US 50%, Japan 35.7%, Italy 3.6% (2003)
 * $86 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
 * foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
 * New Zealand 43.4%, Fiji 22.2%, Australia 11.1%, US 6.1% (2003)
 * $63.4 million (2001)
 * Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02)
 * pa'anga (TOP)
 * TOP
 * pa'anga per US dollar - NA (2003), 2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001), 1.7585 (2000), 1.5991 (1999)
 * 1 July - 30 June
 * }


 * }

!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: NA international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (1996) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 11,200 (2002)
 * 3,400 (2002)
 * general assessment: NA
 * AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2001)
 * 61,000 (1997)
 * 2 (2001)
 * 2,000 (1997)
 * .to
 * 18,906 (2003)
 * 2 (2000)
 * 2,900 (2002)
 * }


 * }

!| Highways: paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (1999 est.) !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: foreign-owned: Albania 1, Australia 4, Brazil 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1, Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 1, Panama 2, Romania 1, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Switzerland 3, Syria 1, United (2004 est.) by type: bulk 3, cargo 21, chemical tanker 2, container 1, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
 * total: 680 km
 * Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai
 * total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 136,977 GRT/200,751 DWT
 * 6 (2003 est.)
 * total: 1
 * total: 5
 * }


 * }

!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Tonga Defense Services: Ground Forces (Royal Marines, Royal Guard), Maritime Force (including Air Wing)
 * 18 years of age (est.) (2004)
 * NA
 * NA
 * }