1994 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1994 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Administrative divisions
three island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Agriculture
accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Airports
total: 6 usable: 6 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1
Area
total area: 748 sq km land area: 718 sq km comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Birth rate
24.76 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Branches
Tonga Defense Services, Maritime Division, Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan Royal Guards, Police
Budget
revenues: $36.4 million expenditures: $68.1 million, including capital expenditures of $33.2 million (1991 est.)
Capital
Nuku'alofa
Climate
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Coastline
419 km
Constitution
4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967
Currency
1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Death rate
6.75 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP
Digraph
TN
Diplomatic representation in US
Ambassador Sione KITE, resides in London consulate(s) general: San Francisco
Economic aid
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $258 million
Electricity
capacity: 6,000 kW production: 8 million kWh consumption per capita: 80 kWh (1990)
Environment
current issues: deforestation natural hazards: subject to cyclones (October to April) international agreements: party to - Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian, Europeans about 300
Exchange rates
pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.3934 (November 1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991), 1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989),
Executive branch
chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965) head of government: Prime Minister Baron VAEA (since 22 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister S. Langi KAVALIKU (since 22 August 1991) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the king
Exports
$18.8 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.) commodities: vanilla, fish, root crops, coconut oil, squash partners: Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY91)
External debt
$47.5 million (FY91)
Fiscal year
1 July-30 June
Flag
red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
Highways
total: 366 km paved: 272 km (198 km on Tongatapu; 74 km on Vava'u) unpaved: 94 km (usable only in dry weather)
Imports
$68.3 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.) commodities: food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels, chemicals partners: NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY91)
Independence
4 June 1970 (from UK)
Industrial production
growth rate 1.5% (FY92); accounts for 11% of GDP
Industries
tourism, fishing
Infant mortality rate
20.79 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9% (FY92)
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Labor force
NA by occupation: agriculture 70%, mining (600 engaged in mining)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 25% permanent crops: 55% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 12% other: 2%
Languages
Tongan, English
Legal system
based on English law
Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)
elections 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
Legislative branch
unicameral
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.97 years male: 65.64 years female: 70.43 years (1994 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write simple message in Tongan or English (1976) total population: 57% male: 60% female: 60%
Location
Oceania, Polynesia, 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Map references
Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
continental shelf: not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Member of
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Merchant marine
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,761 GRT/10,597 DWT, cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Names
conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands
National holiday
Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
National product
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $200 million (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$2,000 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
4% (1993 est.)
Nationality
noun: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan
Natural resources
fish, fertile soil
Net migration rate
-10.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Note
archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)
Overview
The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about 70% of the labor force and contributes 40% 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 11% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings, but the island remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances to offset its trade deficit. The economy continued to grow in 1993 largely because of a rise in squash exports, increased aid flows, and several large construction projects. The government is now turning its attention to further development of the private sector and the reduction of the budget deficit.
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Reform Movement, 'Akilisi POHIVA; Christian Democratic Party, leader NA
Population
104,778 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate
0.79% (1994 est.)
Ports
Nuku'alofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Privy Council
consists of the king and the cabinet
Religions
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)
Suffrage
all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21
Telecommunications
3,529 telephones; 66,000 radios; no TV sets; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Terrain
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Total fertility rate
3.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Type
hereditary constitutional monarchy
Unemployment rate
NA%
US diplomatic representation
the US has no offices in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga and makes periodic visits