Tuvalu

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

7,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

fair cable and radiotelephone services domestic: NA international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

1,359 (1988 est.)

Television broadcast stations

television programs are available from a cable network, and broadcasts from the Bahamas can be received in the islands

Televisions

NA Defense

Agriculture

coconuts; fish

Budget

revenues: $4.3 million expenditures: $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Currency

1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview

Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%.

Electricity

capacity: 2,600 kW production: 3 million kWh consumption per capita: 330 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates

Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3477 (January 1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991)

Exports

$165,000 (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: copra partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.8 million (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$800 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

NA%

Imports

$4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

fishing, tourism, copra

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.9% (1989)

Labor force

NA by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 26 sq km land area: 26 sq km comparative area: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Coastline

24 km

Environment

current issues: since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, all water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities; beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the crown of thorns starfish natural hazards: severe tropical storms are rare international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 178 00 E

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and support subsistence agriculture

Location

Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

fish

Terrain

very low-lying and narrow coral atolls lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

Funafuti

Constitution

1 October 1978

Data code

TV

Diplomatic representation in US

Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch, represented by Governor General Manuella TULAGA (since NA June 1994) who was appointed by the queen on recommendation of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Kamuta LATASI (since 10 December 1993) and Deputy Prime Minister Otinielu TAUSI (since 10 December 1993) were elected by and from the members of Parliament cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister

Flag

light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

Independence

1 October 1978 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Judicial branch

High Court

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu former: Ellice Islands

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Parliament (Fale I Fono)

members elected for four-year terms; elections last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total) independents 12

Political parties and leaders

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

democracy; began debating republic status in 1992

US diplomatic representation

the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu

Age structure

0-14 years: 36% (male 1,865; female 1,798) 15-64 years: 59% (male 2,831; female 3,162) 65 years and over: 5% (male 227; female 263) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

23.95 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

8.87 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Polynesian 96%

Infant mortality rate

27.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Tuvaluan, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 63.34 years male: 62.15 years female: 64.59 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

NA

Nationality

noun: Tuvaluan(s) adjective: Tuvaluan

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

10,146 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.51% (1996 est.)

Religions

Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.11 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 8 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 8 km (1988 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,786 GRT/89,128 DWT ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (1995 est.)

Ports

Funafuti, Nukufetau

Railways

0 km