world
factbook
Tonga
Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific; in 2008, King George TUPOU V announced he was relinquishing most of his powers leading up to parliamentary elections in 2010. TUPOU died in 2012 and was succeeded by his brother 'Aho'eitu TUPOU VI. Tropical Cyclone Gita, the strongest-ever recorded storm to impact Tonga, hit the islands in February 2018 causing extensive damage.

geography

location

Oceania
20.0° S, 175. 0° W
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

area

747 sq km
land
717 sq km
water
30 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

419 km

climate

tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

terrain

mostly flat islands with limestone bedrock formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic rock

elevation

lowest point
Pacific Ocean
0
highest point
Kao Volcano on Kao Island
1,046

natural resources

  • arable land
  • fish

land use

arable land
22.2 %
permanent crops
15.3 %
permanent pasture
5.6 %
forest
12.5 %
other
44.4 %

population distribution

over two-thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied

people

population

  • 106,095
  • 193
    global rank

nationality

  • Tongan(s)
    noun
  • Tongan
    adjective

ethnic groups

Tongan
97 %
part-Tongan
0.8 %
other
2.2 %
unspecified
%

languages

  • Tongan and English
  • Tongan
  • English
  • and other language
  • Tongan only
    official
  • English only
    official
  • other
  • none

religions

Protestant
64.1 %
Mormon
18.6 %
Roman Catholic
14.2 %
other
2.4 %
none
0.5 %
unspecified
0.1 %

birth rate

  • 21
    per 1,000 population
  • 71
    global rank

death rate

  • 4.9
    per 1,000 population
  • 203
    global rank

urban population

23.1 %

major urban areas

  • Nuku'Alofa
    pop. 23,000

life expectancy

  • 77
    total population
  • 87
    global rank
75.4
male
78.8
female

adult obesity rate

  • 48.2%
    percent of adults
  • 7
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Kingdom of Tonga
    long form
  • Tonga
    short form

    local

  • Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga
    long form
  • Tonga
    short form

government type

constitutional monarchy

capital

Nuku'alofa
21.8 S, 175.12 W

independence

national holidays

  • Official Birthday of King TUPOU VI
    4 July
  • Constitution Day
    4 November

legal system

English common law

age of suffrage

21

flag description

red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross reflects the deep-rooted Christianity in Tonga, red represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice, and white signifies purity

national colors

  • red
  • white

national anthem

"Ko e fasi `o e tu"i `o e `Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands)

economy

overview

Tonga has a small, open island economy and is the last constitutional monarchy among the Pacific Island countries. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, make up two-thirds of total exports. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. Tonga had 53,800 visitors in 2015. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from overseas Tongans to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, encouraging investment, and is committing increased funds for health care and education. Tonga's English-speaking and educated workforce offers a viable labor market, and the tropical climate provides fertile soil. Renewable energy and deep-sea mining also offer opportunities for investment. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well developed social services. But the government faces high unemployment among the young, moderate inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures.

GDP

591,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • squash
  • coconuts
  • copra
  • bananas
  • vanilla beans
  • cocoa
  • coffee
  • sweet potatoes
  • cassava
  • taro
  • kava

poverty level

22.5%
2010

budget

  • 181,200,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 181,200,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 14,697
    total subscriptions
  • 188
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 107,938
    total subscriptions
  • 193
    global rank

broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station and 3 privately owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services are available; 1 state-owned and 5 privately owned radio stations; Radio Australia broadcasts available via satellite (2019)

internet

.to
country code

    users

  • 43,889
    total
  • 41.25
    % of population
  • 199
    global rank

energy

electricity access

97%
2016

transportation

air transport

    national system

  • 1
    registered air carriers
  • 75,416
    annual passenger traffic

    airports

  • 6
    total
  • 1
    paved

roadways

680 km
total length

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.