1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 26 sq km land area: 26 sq km comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Coastline
24 km
Environment
current issues: since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, all water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities; beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the crown of thorns starfish natural hazards: severe tropical storms are rare international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and support subsistence agriculture
Location
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
fish
Terrain
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 36% (female 1,787; male 1,852) 15-64 years: 59% (female 3,105; male 2,764) 65 years and over: 5% (female 258; male 225) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
24.82 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
9.01 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Polynesian 96%
Infant mortality rate
27.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: NA
Languages
Tuvaluan, English
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 63.15 years male: 61.87 years female: 64.34 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
NA%
Nationality
noun: Tuvaluans(s) adjective: Tuvaluan
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
9,991 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
1.58% (1995 est.)
Religions
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Total fertility rate
3.11 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Funafuti
Constitution
1 October 1978
Digraph
TV
Diplomatic representation in US
Tuvalu has no mission in the US
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Tulaga MANUELLA (since NA June 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Kamuta LATASI (since 10 December 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Otinielu TAUSI (since 10 December 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister
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
Independence
1 October 1978 (from UK)
Judicial branch
High Court
Legal system
NA
Legislative branch
unicameral
Member of
ACP, AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu former: Ellice Islands
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Parliament (Palamene)
elections last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total)
Political parties and leaders
none
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
democracy; began debating republic status in 1992
US diplomatic representation
none
Economy
Agriculture
coconuts and fish
Budget
revenues: $4.3 million expenditures: $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Currency
1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Economic aid
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $101 million
Electricity
capacity: 2,600 kW production: 3 million kWh consumption per capita: 330 kWh (1990)
Exchange rates
Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990)
Exports
$165,000 (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: copra partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
NA
Imports
$4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989) 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)
2.9% (1989)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.8 million (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$800 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
NA%
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, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: 4,000
Telephone system
108 telephones; 300 radiotelephones local: NA intercity: NA international: NA
Television
broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
Highways
total: 8 km unpaved: gravel 8 km
Merchant marine
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,473 GRT/73,652 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1
Ports
Funafuti, Nukufetau
Railroads
0 km
Military and Security
Branches
no military forces; Police Force
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP ________________________________________________________________________ UGANDA