Tuvalu

Internet country code

.tv

Internet users

1,300 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1999)

Telephone system

general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands international: country code - 688

Telephones - main lines in use

700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1994)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1997)

Agriculture - products

coconuts; fish

Budget

revenues: $22.5 million expenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2 million (2000 est.)

Currency

Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar

Currency code

AUD

Debt - external

NA

Economic aid - recipient

$13 million ; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US (1999 est.)

Economy - overview

Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, 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. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline. 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. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. 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%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these new technology sources could increase substantially over the next decade. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and investment income from overseas assets.

Exchange rates

Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419, (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999)

Exports

$1 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

copra, fish

Exports - partners

UK 37.5%, Poland 19.1%, Philippines 9.2%, Australia 9.1%, Fiji 6.2% (2003)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $12.2 million NA (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$79 million c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

Fiji 47.3%, Australia 13.9%, Poland 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, Japan 8%, New Zealand 6.2% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

fishing, tourism, copra

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (2000 est.)

Labor force

7,000 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

NA

Area

total: 26 sq km land: 26 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Environment - current issues

since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); 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; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 178 00 E

Geography - note

one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)

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

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

Natural hazards

severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level

Natural resources

fish

Terrain

very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

Funafuti; note - administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet

Constitution

1 October 1978

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu former: Ellice Islands note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Diplomatic representation in the US

Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Faimalaga LUKA (since 9 September 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA (since 11 October 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held following parliamentary elections in 2006) election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA resigned parliamentary seat on 27 August 2004 following no-confidence vote on 25 August 2004; succeeded by Deputy Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA in an acting capacity on 27 August 2004; Maatia TOAFA confirmed Prime Minister in a Parliamentary election (8-7 vote) on 11 Ocotober 2004

Flag description

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began debating republic status in 1992

Independence

1 October 1978 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IFRCS (observer), IMO, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Judicial branch

High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Political parties and leaders

there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.

Military branches

no regular military forces; Police Force (includes Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.3% (male 1,828; female 1,761) 15-64 years: 63.7% (male 3,530; female 3,770) 65 years and over: 5% (male 227; female 352) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

21.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

7.24 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 20.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 23.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.66 years male: 65.47 years female: 69.96 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Median age

total: 24.2 years male: 23.1 years female: 25.6 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Tuvaluan(s) adjective: Tuvaluan

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

11,468 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

1.44% (2004 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: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 8 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 8 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,993 GRT/86,048 DWT by type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: Germany 4, Singapore 1, Thailand 1 (2004 est.)

Ports and harbors

Funafuti, Nukufetau