Tonga

Airports

total: 6 usable: 6 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Highways

198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vava'u); 94 km unsealed roads usable only in dry weather

Merchant marine

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,765 GRT/10,597 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 liquefied gas

Ports

Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai

Telecommunications

3,529 telephones; 66,000 radios; no TV sets; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Branches

Tonga Defense Force, Tonga Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Royal Tongan Guard, Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

NA

Agriculture

accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper

Budget

revenues $36.4 million; expenditures $68.1 million, including capital expenditures of $33.2 million (FY91 est.)

Currency

1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $258 million

Electricity

6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates

pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.3996 (January 1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989), 1.2799 (1988)

Exports

$18.8 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.) commodities: coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans, fruits, vegetables, fish partners: Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY91)

External debt

$47.5 million (FY91)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Imports

$68.3 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.) commodities: food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels, chemicals partners: NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY91)

Industrial production

growth rate 1.7% (FY90); accounts for 11% of GDP

Industries

tourism, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (FY92 est.)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $92 million (FY90)

National product per capita

$900 (FY90)

National product real growth rate

0.4% (FY92 est.)

Overview

The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor force and contributes 40% 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.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 748 km2 land area: 718 km2 comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

419 km

Environment

archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to cyclones (October to April); deforestation

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA km2

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 25% permanent crops: 55% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 12% other: 2%

Location

Oceania, 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references

Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

fish, fertile soil

Terrain

most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Administrative divisions

three island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Capital

Nuku alofa

Constitution

4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

Digraph

TN

Diplomatic representation in US

Ambassador Sione KITE, resides in London

Elections

Legislative Assembly: last held 14-15 February 1990 (next to be held 3-4 February 1993); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist

Executive branch

monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council

Flag

red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner

Independence

4 June 1970 (from UK)

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)

Legal system

based on English law

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)

Member of

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO

Names

conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands

National holiday

Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Reform Movement, 'Akilisi POHIVA; Christian Democratic Party, leader NA

Suffrage

all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21

Type

hereditary constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

the US has no offices in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga and makes periodic visits

Birth rate

25.16 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

6.75 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Polynesian, Europeans about 300

Infant mortality rate

21.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

NA by occupation: agriculture 70%, mining (600 engaged in mining)

Languages

Tongan, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.79 years male: 65.5 years female: 70.24 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1976) total population: 57% male: 60% female: 60%

Nationality

noun: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan

Net migration rate

-10.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

103,949 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

0.8% (1993 est.)

Religions

Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Total fertility rate

3.68 children born/woman (1993 est.)