Compare Tromelin Island (2002) - Tuvalu (2008)

First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station.

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 a 12-year period.

Birth rate

-

22.43 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Budget

-

revenues: $22.78 million

expenditures: $14.23 million (2002)

Capital

-

name: Funafuti

geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E

time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

note: administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet

Climate

tropical

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

Coastline

3.7 km

24 km

Constitution

-

1 October 1978

Country name

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Tromelin Island

local long form: none

local short form: Ile Tromelin

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Tuvalu

local long form: none

local short form: Tuvalu

former: Ellice Islands

note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands

Death rate

-

7 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Debt - external

-

$NA

Dependency status

possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the Republic, resident in Reunion

-

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, NY 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534

Disputes - international

claimed by Madagascar and Mauritius

none

Economic aid - recipient

-

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

Economy - overview

no economic activity

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 remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad. 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 grew 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%. Tuvalu derives around $1.5 million per year from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. 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 income from overseas investments.

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point: unnamed location 7 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Environment - current issues

NA

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 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, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

-

Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%

Exchange rates

-

Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)

Executive branch

-

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)

head of government: Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA (since 14 August 2006)

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 14 August 2006 (next to be held following parliamentary elections in 2010)

election results: Apisai IELEMIA elected Prime Minister in a Parliamentary election on 14 August 2006

Exports

-

$1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

-

copra, fish

Exports - partners

-

Germany 60.5%, Italy 20.1%, Fiji 6.9% (2006)

Fiscal year

-

calendar year

Flag description

the flag of France is used

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

GDP - composition by sector

-

agriculture: 16.6%

industry: 27.2%

services: 56.2% (2002)

GDP - real growth rate

-

1.2% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

15 52 S, 54 25 E

8 00 S, 178 00 E

Geography - note

climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)

one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the 9 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

Household income or consumption by percentage share

-

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Imports

-

$9.186 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

-

food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

-

Fiji 46.1%, Japan 18.9%, China 18.2%, Australia 7.7%, NZ 4.1% (2006)

Independence

-

1 October 1978 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

-

NA%

Industries

-

fishing, tourism, copra

Infant mortality rate

-

total: 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 21.64 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 16.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-

3.9% (2005 est.)

International organization participation

-

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

Irrigated land

0 sq km (1998 est.)

NA

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)

Labor force

-

3,615 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

-

note: 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)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (grasses; scattered bushes) (1998 est.)

arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 66.67%

other: 33.33% (2005)

Languages

-

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

Legal system

the laws of France, where applicable, apply

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 3 August 2006 (next to be held in 2010)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15

Life expectancy at birth

-

total population: 68.63 years

male: 66.38 years

female: 70.99 years (2007 est.)

Literacy

-

NA

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

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

Africa

Oceania

Maritime claims

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

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Merchant marine

-

total: 74 ships (1000 GRT or over) 568,759 GRT/928,697 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 45, chemical tanker 5, container 2, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned: 61 (China 25, Hong Kong 10, Kenya 1, Maldives 1, Romania 1, Russia 4, Singapore 13, Thailand 1, Turkey 1, US 1, Vietnam 3) (2007)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

-

Military branches

-

no regular military forces; Police Force

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

-

NA

National holiday

-

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Nationality

-

noun: Tuvaluan(s)

adjective: Tuvaluan

Natural hazards

NA

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

Natural resources

fish

Net migration rate

-

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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

Population

uninhabited, except for visits by scientists (July 2002 est.)

11,992 (July 2007 est.)

Population below poverty line

-

NA%

Population growth rate

-

1.543% (2007 est.)

Ports and harbors

none; offshore anchorage only

-

Radio broadcast stations

-

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)

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: 1.039 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.601 male(s)/female

total population: 0.954 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Suffrage

-

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

-

general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications

domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands

international: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite

Telephones - main lines in use

-

900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

-

1,300 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

-

0 (2004)

Terrain

low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic

very low-lying and narrow coral atolls