Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) - Tonga (2005)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) z Tonga (2005)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2006)	Tonga (2005)

Administrative divisions	-	3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 36.2% (male 20,738/female 19,907) 15-64 years: 59.7% (male 33,226/female 33,853) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,031/female 2,667) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish
Airports	1 (2006)	6 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands	total: 748 sq km land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km
Area - comparative	land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC	four times the size of Washington, DC
Background	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.	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	-	25.18 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $39.9 million expenditures: $52.4 million, including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY99/00 est.)
Capital	-	Nuku'alofa
Climate	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds	tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Coastline	698 km	419 km
Constitution	-	4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967
Country name	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT	conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands
Death rate	-	5.35 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	-	$63.4 million (2001)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London	-
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 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	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain;	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02)
Economy - overview	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.	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. 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 reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	23.06 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	24.79 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m
Environment - current issues	NA	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 about 300
Exchange rates	-	pa'anga per US dollar - 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001), 1.7585 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator 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 3 January 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister James C. COCKER (since NA January 2001) cabinet: cabinet consists of 16 members, 12 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 for life by the monarch
Exports	-	NA
Exports - commodities	-	squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops
Exports - partners	-	Japan 37.1%, China 18.7%, US 17.7%, Taiwan 8.7%, New Zealand 7.4% (2004)
Fiscal year	-	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag	red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 23% industry: 13% services: 64% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	1.5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E	20 00 S, 175 00 W
Geography - note	archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility	archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
Highways	-	total: 680 km paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	-	NA
Imports - commodities	-	foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners	-	New Zealand 37.1%, Fiji 24.3%, Australia 9.1%, China 8.9%, US 6.3% (2004)
Independence	-	4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
Industrial production growth rate	-	8.6% (FY98/99)
Industries	-	tourism, fishing
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 12.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	10.3% (2002 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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land	0 sq km	NA
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	-	33,910 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 65% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 23.61% permanent crops: 43.06% other: 33.33% (2001)
Languages	-	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 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: 69.53 years male: 67.05 years female: 72.14 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1996 est.)
Location	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia	Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references	Political Map of the World	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine	-	total: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 136,977 GRT/200,751 DWT by type: cargo 21, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 7 (Cyprus 1, France 1, Greece 1, Norway 1, Romania 2, United Kingdom 1) (2005)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	-
Military branches	-	Tonga Defense Services: Ground Forces (Royal Marines, Royal Guard), Maritime Force (includes Air Wing)
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	NA	cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou
Natural resources	coconuts, fish, sugarcane	fish, fertile soil
Net migration rate	-	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	there are no political parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.)	112,422 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA
Population growth rate	-	1.98% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Nuku'alofa
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	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: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	-	21 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)	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	NA	11,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	9,000 (2004)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	3 (2004)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)	most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Total fertility rate	-	3 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	13.3% (1996 est.)

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