Tonga (2006)

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Tonga 2006 year


Administrative divisions	3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Age structure	0-14 years: 35.3% (male 20,679/female 19,843) 15-64 years: 60.5% (male 34,399/female 34,964) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,059/female 2,745) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish
Airports	6 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Area	total: 748 sq km land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km
Area - comparative	four times the size of Washington, DC
Background	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.
Birth rate	25.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $56.97 million expenditures: $83.88 million; including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY99/00 est.)
Capital	name: Nuku'alofa geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Coastline	419 km
Constitution	4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga local long form: Pule'anga Tonga local short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands
Death rate	5.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$80.7 million (2004)
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 consulate(s) general: San Francisco
Disputes - international	none
Economic aid - recipient	$19.3 million Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02)
Economy - overview	Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government.
Electricity - consumption	31.62 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	34 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Polynesian, Europeans
Exchange rates	pa'anga per US dollar - 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001)
Executive branch	chief of state: King George TUPOU V (since 11 September 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Feleti SEVELE (since 11 February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Viliami TANGI (since 16 May 2006) cabinet: Cabinet currently consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by the monarch for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, including 2 each from the nobles and peoples representatives serving three year terms note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the cabinet, and two governors elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch
Exports	0 kWh (2003)
Exports	$34 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops
Exports - partners	Japan 41.5%, US 33.1%, NZ 6.3% (2005)
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 23% industry: 27% services: 50% (FY03/04 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	2.4% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	20 00 S, 175 00 W
Geography - note	archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	0 kWh (2003)
Imports	$122 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners	NZ 33.4%, Fiji 26.7%, Australia 10.5%, US 8.4% (2005)
Independence	4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
Industrial production growth rate	1% (2003 est.)
Industries	tourism, fishing
Infant mortality rate	total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	11.1% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land	NA
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen and approved by Privy Council)
Labor force	33,910 (2003)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 65% industry and services: 35% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km
Land use	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 14.67% other: 65.33% (2005)
Languages	Tongan, English
Legal system	based on English law
Legislative branch	unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, 9 for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and 9 elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms) elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 69.82 years male: 67.32 years female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1999 est.)
Location	Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine	total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,185 GRT/72,960 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006)
Military branches	Tonga Defense Services: Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA
National holiday	Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Nationality	noun: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan
Natural hazards	cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou
Natural resources	fish, fertile soil
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders	People's Democratic Party [Tesina FUKO]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]
Population	114,689 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	24% NA%
Population growth rate	2.01% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004)
Religions	Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	21 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television domestic: fully automatic switched network international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)
Telephones - main lines in use	11,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	16,400 (2004)
Television broadcast stations	3 (2004)
Terrain	most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Total fertility rate	3 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	13% (FY03/04 est.)

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