1987 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1987 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Coastline
24 km
Comparative area
about one-seventh the size of Washington, D. C.
Environment
severe tropical storms are rare
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Land use
0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Special notes
none
Terrain
very low lying and narrow coral atolls
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
- Nanumea —150km__ ,Niutso ‘Nanumanga {Nui Vaitupu Nukufetaug FUNAFUTI *—>{ Funatuti South Pacitic . Ocean Nukulaelae Nurakita .
- 26 km?; land area: 26 km?
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
96% Polynesian
Infant mortality rate
42/1,000 (1979)
Language
Tuvaluan, English
Life expectancy
men 57, women 60
Literacy
less than 50%
Nationality
noun—Tuvaluanss); adjective—Tuvaluan
Population
8,329 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 1.73%
Religion
Christian, predominantly Protestant
Government
Administrative divisions
8 island councils on the permanently inhabited islands
Branches
executive—Prime Minister and Cabinet; unicameral legislature—12member House of Parliament; judicial— High Court, 8 island courts with limited jurisdication Government leaders; Dr. Tomasi PUAPUA, Prime Minister (since September 1981); Tupua LEUPENA, Governor General (since 1 March 1986)
Capital
Funafuti
Elections
last general election September 1985, next scheduled for September 1989
Member of
ESCAP (associate member), GATT (de facto), SPF, SPC, UPU
Official name
Tuvalu
Political parties
none
Type
independent state, special member of the Commonwealth
Economy
Agriculture
limited; coconut palms, copra
Aid
$4.2 million (1983); Western (non-US) countries, ODA (1970-79), $22 million
Budget
(1983 est.) revenues, $2.59 million; expenditures, $3.6 million
Electric power
2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$1.0 million (1983 est.)
GNP
$4 million (1984), $500 per capita
Imports
$2.8 million (1983); food and mineral fuels
Major industry
copra
Major trade partners
UK, Australia
Monetary conversion rate
1.54 Australian dollars=US$1 (November 1986)
Communications
Airfields
1 total, 1 usable with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
8 km gravel
Inland waterways
none
Ports
2 minor (Funafuti, Nukufetau)
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
1 AM station; about 300 radiotelephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); 4,000 radio receivers; 108 telephones (1.3 per 100 popl.)