1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Coastline
419 km
Comparative area
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Continental shelf
no specific limits;
Environment
archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to cyclones (October to April); deforestation
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
25% arable land; 55% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 2% other
Natural resources
fish, fertile soil
Note
located about 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Terrain
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
748 km2; land area: 718 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
27 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian; about 300 Europeans
Infant mortality rate
24 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
NA; 70% agriculture; 600 engaged in mining
Language
Tongan, English
Life expectancy at birth
65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Literacy
90-95%; compulsory education for children ages 6 to 14
Nationality
noun--Tongan(s); adjective--Tongan
Net migration rate
- 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
none
Population
101,313 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Religion
Christian; Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents
Total fertility rate
3.9 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
three island groups; Haapai, Tongatapu, Vavau
Capital
Nukualofa
Communists
none known
Constitution
4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Siosaia a'Ulupekotofa TUITA resides in London; US--the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga and makes periodic visits
Elections
Legislative Assembly--last held 14-15 February 1990 (next to be held NA February 1993); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist
Executive branch
monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council
Flag
red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
Independence
4 June 1970 (from UK; formerly Friendly Islands)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State--King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965); Head of Government--Prime Minister Prince Fatafehi TU'IPELEHAKE (since 16 December 1965)
Legal system
based on English law
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Assembly
Long-form name
Kingdom of Tonga
Member of
ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, FAO, ESCAP, GATT (de facto), IFAD, ITU, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
National holiday
Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Political parties and leaders
none
Suffrage
all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21
Type
hereditary constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $220 million
Budget
revenues $54.8 million; expenditures $56.2 million, including capital expenditures of $16.9 million (FY88 est.)
Currency
pa'anga (plural--pa'anga); 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Electricity
5,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
pa'anga (T$) per US$1--1.23 (FY89 est.), 1.37 (FY88), 1.51 (FY87), 1.43 (FY86), 1.30 (FY85)
Exports
$9.1 million (f.o.b., FY88 est.); commodities--coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans, fruits, vegetables, fish; partners--NZ 54%, Australia 30%, US 8%, Fiji 5% (FY87)
External debt
$31.8 million (1987)
Fiscal year
1 July-30 June
GDP
$86 million, per capita $850; real growth rate 3.6%
Imports
$60.1 million (c.i.f., FY88 est.); commodities--food products, beverages and tobacco, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, building materials; partners--NZ 39%, Australia 25%, Japan 9%, US 6%, EC 5% (FY87)
Industrial production
growth rate 15% (FY86)
Industries
tourism, fishing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.2% (FY87)
Overview
The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor force and contributes 50% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops and make up two-thirds of exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The manufacturing sector accounts for only 10% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the island remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to sustain its trade deficit.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
6 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vavau); 94 km unsealed roads usable only in dry weather
Merchant marine
6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 37,249 GRT/50,116 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 1 liquefied gas
Ports
Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Telecommunications
3,529 telephones; 66,000 radio receivers; no TV sets; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Land Force, Maritime Force
Defense expenditures
NA
Military manpower
NA