Compare Akrotiri (2006) - Tonga (2002)

Akrotiri (2006)

Tonga (2002)

Administrative divisions

-

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

Age structure

-

0-14 years: 39.5% (male 21,374; female 20,555)

15-64 years: 56.4% (male 29,519; female 30,322)

65 years and over: 4.1% (male 1,945; female 2,422) (2002 est.)

Agriculture - products

-

squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish

Airports

-

6 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

-

total: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

-

total: 5

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Area

total: 123 sq km

note: includes a salt lake and wetlands

total: 748 sq km

land: 718 sq km

water: 30 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC

four times the size of Washington, DC

Background

By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.

The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Birth rate

-

24.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Budget

-

revenues: $39.9 million

expenditures: $52.4 million, including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY99/00 est.)

Capital

name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia

geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Nuku'alofa

Climate

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

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

Coastline

56.3 km

419 km

Constitution

Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960

4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

Country name

conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area

conventional short form: Akrotiri

conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga

conventional short form: Tonga

former: Friendly Islands

Currency

-

pa'anga (TOP)

Death rate

-

5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Debt - external

-

$57.5 million (June 2001)

Dependency status

overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

-

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

chief of mission: Ambassador Sonatane T. T. TUPOU

chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022

telephone: [1] (917) 369-1136

FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024

consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Disputes - international

-

none

Economic aid - recipient

-

Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02)

Economy - overview

Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Tonga has a small, open economy with 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. Tourism is the second largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. 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 reasonable basic infrastructure and well-developed social services.

Electricity - consumption

-

27.9 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

-

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

-

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

-

30 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

-

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2000)

Elevation extremes

-

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m

Environment - current issues

shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base

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 Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

-

Polynesian, Europeans about 300

Exchange rates

-

pa'anga per US dollar - 2.1920 (January 2002), 2.1236 (2001), 1.7585 (2000), 1.5991 (1999), 1.4920 (1998), 1.2635 (1997)

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch

chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)

head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since NA February 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Tevita TOPOU (since NA January 2001)

cabinet: Cabinet, appointed by the monarch, consists of 12 members

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 for life by the monarch

Exports

-

$9.3 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

-

squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops

Exports - partners

-

Japan 50.4%, US 31.6%, NZ 4.1%, Australia 2.1%, Fiji 1.7% (2000 est.)

Fiscal year

-

1 July - 30 June

Flag description

the flag of the UK is used

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

GDP

-

purchasing power parity - $225 million (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

-

agriculture: 30%

industry: 10%

services: 60% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

-

purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-

5.3% (2000 est.)

Geographic coordinates

34 37 N, 32 58 E

20 00 S, 175 00 W

Geography - note

British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

Highways

-

total: 680 km

paved: 184 km

unpaved: 496 km (1996)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

-

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Imports

-

$70 million c.i.f. (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

-

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners

-

New Zealand 29.8%, Japan 18.6%, Australia 12.7%, US 12.7%, Fiji 12.2% (2000 est.)

Independence

-

4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

Industrial production growth rate

-

8.6% (FY98/99)

Industries

-

tourism, fishing

Infant mortality rate

-

13.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-

9.4% (2001 est.)

International organization participation

-

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

-

2 (2000)

Irrigated land

-

NA sq km

Judicial branch

-

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of the Supreme Court)

Labor force

-

33,908 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation

-

agriculture 65% (1997 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 47.4 km

border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km

0 km

Land use

-

arable land: 23.61%

permanent crops: 43.06%

other: 33.33% (1998 est.)

Languages

English, Greek

Tongan, English

Legal system

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

based on English law

Legislative branch

-

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)

elections: last held 7 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)

election results: percent of vote - pro-democratic 70%; seats - pro-democratic 7, traditionalist 2

Life expectancy at birth

-

total population: 68.56 years

male: 66.13 years

female: 71.11 years (2002 est.)

Literacy

-

definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English

total population: 98.5%

male: 98.4%

female: 98.7% (1996 est.)

Location

peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Map references

Middle East

Oceania

Maritime claims

-

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Merchant marine

-

total: 80 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 292,139 GRT/421,221 DWT

ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 54, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 4

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 1, Australia 4, Austria 1, Bolivia 1, Cyprus 1, Djibouti 1, Egypt 2, Greece 4, Lebanon 2, Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 2, Morocco 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Romania 3, Russia 1, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Singapore 1, Sweden 1, Switzerland 3, Syria 5, Ukraine 1, United Arab Emirates 16, United States 4 (2002 est.)

Military - note

Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit

-

Military branches

-

Tonga Defense Services (made up of three operational command components and two support elements, including the Royal Marines, Royal Guards, Maritime Force, a support/logistics group, and a training group), Police; note - a new air wing that will be subordinate to the Ministry of Defense is being developed

Military expenditures - dollar figure

-

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

-

NA%

National holiday

-

Independence 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 (2002 est.)

Political parties and leaders

-

there are no political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

-

Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM [Akilisi POHIVA, president]

Population

no indigenous inhabitants

note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there

106,137 (July 2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

-

NA%

Population growth rate

-

1.85% (2002 est.)

Ports and harbors

-

Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai

Radio broadcast stations

FM 1

note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006)

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios

-

61,000 (1997)

Railways

-

0 km

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: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Suffrage

-

21 years of age; universal

Telephone system

-

general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (1996)

Telephones - main lines in use

-

8,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular

-

302 (1996)