213 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
213 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
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TONGA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 748 km2; land area: 718 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 419 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: no specific limits;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December
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to May), cool season (May to December)
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Terrain: most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted
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coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
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Natural resources: fish, fertile soil
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Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 55%; meadows and
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pastures 6%; forest and woodland 12%; other 2%
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Environment: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to
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cyclones (October to April); deforestation
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Note: located about 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about
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two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand
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PEOPLE
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Population: 102,272 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
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Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Tongan(s); adjective--Tongan
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Ethnic divisions: Polynesian; about 300 Europeans
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Religion: Christian; Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000
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adherents
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Language: Tongan, English
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Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can
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read and write a simple message in Tongan or English (1976)
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Labor force: NA; 70% agriculture; 600 engaged in mining
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Organized labor: none
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Kingdom of Tonga
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Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
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Capital: Nukualofa
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Administrative divisions: three island groups; Haapai, Tongatapu,
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Vavau
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Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK; formerly Friendly Islands)
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Constitution: 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
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Legal system: based on English law
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National holiday: Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
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Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
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Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council
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Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Prince Fatafehi TU'IPELEHAKE
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(since 16 December 1965)
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Political parties and leaders: Democratic Reform Movement,
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'Akolisi POHIVA
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Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females
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over 21
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Elections:
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Legislative Assembly--last held 14-15 February 1990
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(next to be held NA February 1993);
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results--percent of vote NA;
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seats--(29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist
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Communists: none known
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Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
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IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
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UPU, WHO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Siosaia a'Ulupekotofa
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TUITA resides in London;
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US--the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is
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accredited to Tonga and makes periodic visits
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Flag: red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper
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hoist-side corner
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about
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70% of the labor force and contributes 50% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and
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vanilla beans are the main crops and make up two-thirds of exports. The
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country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New
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Zealand. The manufacturing sector accounts for only 11% of GDP. Tourism
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is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the island remains
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dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to sustain its trade
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deficit.
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GDP: $86 million, per capita $850; real growth rate 3.6%
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(FY89 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (FY89)
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Unemployment rate: NA%
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Budget: revenues $30.6 million; expenditures $48.9 million,
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including capital expenditures of $22.5 million (FY89 est.)
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Exports: $9.6 million (f.o.b., FY90 est.);
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commodities--coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro,
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vanilla beans, fruits, vegetables, fish;
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partners--NZ 54%, Australia 30%, US 8%, Fiji 5% (FY87)
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Imports: $59.9 million (c.i.f., FY90 est.);
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commodities--food products, beverages and tobacco, fuels, machinery
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and transport equipment, chemicals, building materials;
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partners--NZ 39%, Australia 25%, Japan 9%, US 6%, EC 5% (FY87)
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External debt: $42.0 million (FY89)
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Industrial production: growth rate 15% (FY86); accounts for
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11% of GDP
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Electricity: 6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced,
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80 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: tourism, fishing
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Agriculture: dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production;
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vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $240 million
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Currency: pa'anga (plural--pa'anga); 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
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Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1--1.2832 (January 1991),
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1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989), 1.2799 (1988), 1.4282 (1987), 1.4960
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(1986), 1.4319 (1985)
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Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vavau); 94 km
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unsealed roads usable only in dry weather
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Ports: Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
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Merchant marine: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 35,857
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GRT/480,726 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container,
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1 liquefied gas
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Civil air: no major transport aircraft
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Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659;
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1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: 3,529 telephones; 66,000 radios; no TV
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sets; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth
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station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Land Force, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines,
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Royal Tongan Guard, Police
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Manpower availability: NA
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Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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