Tonga

Airports

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

Highways

total: 366 km paved: 272 km (198 km on Tongatapu; 74 km on Vava'u) unpaved: 94 km (usable only in dry weather)

Merchant marine

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,761 GRT/10,597 DWT, cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Ports

Nuku'alofa, 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 Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan Royal Guards, Police

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

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 (1991 est.)

Currency

1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti

Economic aid

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

Electricity

capacity: 6,000 kW production: 8 million kWh consumption per capita: 80 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates

pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.3934 (November 1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989),

Exports

$18.8 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.) commodities: vanilla, fish, root crops, coconut oil, squash 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 1.5% (FY92); accounts for 11% of GDP

Industries

tourism, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9% (FY92)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $200 million (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$2,000 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

4% (1993 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. The economy continued to grow in 1993 largely because of a rise in squash exports, increased aid flows, and several large construction projects. The government is now turning its attention to further development of the private sector and the reduction of the budget deficit.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 748 sq km land area: 718 sq km 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

current issues: deforestation natural hazards: subject to cyclones (October to April) international agreements: party to - Marine Life Conservation

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

Oceania, Polynesia, 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

Note

archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)

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 consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Executive branch

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) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the king

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

Legal system

based on English law

Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), 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

Privy Council

consists of the king and the cabinet

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

24.76 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

6.75 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Polynesian, Europeans about 300

Infant mortality rate

20.79 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

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

Languages

Tongan, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.97 years male: 65.64 years female: 70.43 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write simple message in Tongan or English (1976) total population: 57% male: 60% female: 60%

Nationality

noun: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan

Net migration rate

-10.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

104,778 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.79% (1994 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

3.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)