1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
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 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Disputes
none
Environment
severe tropical storms are rare
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
26 km2
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Natural resources
fish
Note
located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
Terrain
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
26 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
28 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
96% Polynesian
Infant mortality rate
34 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
NA
Languages
Tuvaluan, English
Life expectancy at birth
61 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Literacy
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Nationality
noun - Tuvaluans(s); adjective - Tuvaluan
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
none
Population
9,494 (July 1992), growth rate 1.8% (1992)
Religions
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Total fertility rate
3.1 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Funafuti
Chief of State
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Tupua LEUPENA (since 1 March 1986)
Constitution
1 October 1978
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador (vacant) US: none
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16 October 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October 1989)
Independence
1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands)
Judicial branch
High Court
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (Palamene)
Long-form name
none
Member of
ACP, C (special), ESCAP, SPC, SPF, UPU
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Parliament
last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by NA September 1993); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total)
Political parties and leaders
none
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
democracy
Economy
Agriculture
coconuts, copra
Budget
revenues $4.3 million; expenditures $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Currency
Tuvaluan dollar and Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $101 million
Electricity
2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 330 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3117 (March 1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987)
Exports
$1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.) commodities: copra partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
NA
GNP
exchange rate conversion - $4.6 million, per capita $530; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Imports
$2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.) commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Industrial production
growth rate NA
Industries
fishing, tourism, copra
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.9% (1984)
Overview
Tuvalu consists of a 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. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
8 km gravel
Merchant marine
1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,043 GRT/450 DWT
Ports
Funafuti, Nukufetau
Telecommunications
broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 300 radiotelephones; 4,000 radios; 108 telephones
Military and Security
Branches
Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GNP
Manpower availability
NA