Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1429

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TONGA.

King. — George II., born June 18, 1874 ; succeeded his great grandfather, George Tubou, in 1893.

There is a Legislative Assembly which meets every two years, composed one half of hereditary nobles, who hold their office subject to good behaviour, and half of representatives elected for three years by the people, every adult male who has paid his taxes and is not criminally incapacitated being qualified to vote.

Treaties of friendship and trade have been concluded with Great Britain, Germany, and the United States.

The kingdom consists of 3 groups of islands, called respectively, Tonga, Haapai, and Vavau, and lies between 15° and 23'^ 30' south, and 173" and 177" west, its western boundary being the eastern boundary of Fiji. Area, 374 square miles ; population, 1893, 17,500, including 250 foreigners, mostly British. Capital, Nukualofa. The revenue, chiefly from customs, a poll tax and leases (no land being sold), is estimated at 20,000Z., or 100,000 dollars annually ; the expenditure is regulated so as to leave a small surplus. Native produce consists mostly of copra, mats, tapa, a textile from bark, combs, and fishing nets. Imports, 1896, 90,915/. ; 1897, 74,561Z. ; exports, 1896, 94,398/. ; 1897, 64,891/. The imports included drapery, 20,563/. ; bread stufi's, 8,334/. ; timber, 4,901/. ; and the exports, copra, 54,601/. ; green fruit, 2,885/. ; fungus, 176/., in 1897. Of the imports there came from Auckland, 27,241/. ; from Sydney, 42,336/. ; from Samoa, 2,651/. ; from other Pacific islands, 2,330/. Of the exports there went to Auckland, 4,697/. ; to Sydney, 13,285/. ; to the Azores, 21,935/. ; to Ponta Delgada, 22,189/. Tonnage entered, 1896, 89,702 tons; 1897, 81,400 tons. In 1897, of the tonnage entered, 70,798 tons were British, 7,895 tons Norwegian, 2,260 tons Swedish, and 447 Danish. The returns for 1897 have been injuriously aff'ected by the murrain in 1896 and a severe drought in 1897.

Gold and silver coins of Great Britain, United States, and Germany are legal tender. The weights and measures are the same as in Great Britain. Accounts are kept in dollars, shillings, and pence.

H.B.M. Hi<ih Commissioner and Consul-General for the IVestern Pacific. — SirG. T. M. O'Brien, K.C.M.G.

Deputy -Commissioner and Vice-Consul atTonga. — R. B. Leefe.

Foreign Office Reports on the Trade of Tonga. Annual Series. London. The Criminal and Civil Code of the Kingdom of Tonga. 8. Auckland, 1801. Monfat{\.), Les Tonga, ou Archipel des Amis. 8. Lyon, 1893.

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