2019 Edition

Background

In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period. The agreement was subsequently renegotiated but details were not disclosed. Tuvalu will host the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in August 2019.

Area

Land

26 sq km

Total

26 sq km

Water

0 sq km

Area Comparative

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

Elevation

Highest Point

unnamed location 5 m

Lowest Point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Mean Elevation

2 m

Environment Current Issues

water needs met by catchment systems; the use of sand as a building material has led to beachhead erosion; deforestation; damage to coral reefs from increasing ocean temperatures and acidification; rising sea levels threaten water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

Signed But Not Ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

8 00 S, 178 00 E

Geography Note

one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Irrigated Land

0 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

60% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

0% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

60% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

0% (2011 est.)

Forest

33.3% (2011 est.)

Other

6.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia

Map References

Oceania

Maritime Claims

Contiguous Zone

24 nm

Exclusive Economic Zone

200 nm

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low levels of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level

Natural Resources

fish, coconut (copra)

Population Distribution

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Terrain

low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Age Structure

0 14 Years

29.32% (male 1,675 /female 1,593)

15 24 Years

18.63% (male 1,078 /female 999)

25 54 Years

36.91% (male 2,080 /female 2,034)

55 64 Years

8.86% (male 404 /female 584)

65 Years And Over

6.28% (male 274 /female 426) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

23.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

15.5% (2016)

Death Rate

8.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

97% of population

Improved Total

97.7% of population

Improved Urban

98.3% of population

Unimproved Rural

3% of population

Unimproved Total

2.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

1.7% of population

Ethnic Groups

Tuvaluan 86.8%, Tuvaluan/I-Kiribati 5.6%, Tuvaluan/other 6.7%, other 0.9% (2012 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

25.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

30.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

28.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

69.5 years

Male

65 years

Total Population

67.2 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)

Median Age

Female

27.2 years

Male

25 years

Total

26 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Tuvaluan

Noun

Tuvaluan(s)

Net Migration Rate

-6.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

51.6% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.92 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

11,147 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.86% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 92.4% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.7%, Brethren 3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.8%, Assemblies of God .9%), Baha'i 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Mormon 1%, other 3.1%, none 0.2% (2012 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

80.2% of population (2012 est.)

Improved Total

83.3% of population (2012 est.)

Improved Urban

86.3% of population (2012 est.)

Unimproved Rural

19.8% of population (2012 est.)

Unimproved Total

16.7% of population (2012 est.)

Unimproved Urban

13.7% of population (2012 est.)

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.08 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.02 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.69 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.64 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.98 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.93 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

45.9% (2016)

Male

9.8%

Total

20.6%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

2.27% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

63.2% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

7 island councils and 1 town council*; Funafuti*, Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

8 31 S, 179 13 E

Name

Funafuti; note - the capital is an atoll of some 29 islets; administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet

Time Difference

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

yes

Citizenship By Descent Only

yes; for a child born abroad, at least one parent must be a citizen of Tuvalu

Dual Citizenship Recognized

yes

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

na

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the final reading; amended 2007, 2010, 2013 (2017)

History

previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

none

Conventional Short Form

Tuvalu

Etymology

"tuvalu" means "group of eight" or "eight standing together" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands

Former

Ellice Islands

Local Long Form

none

Local Short Form

Tuvalu

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

none; the Tuvalu Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the Embassy; it is headed by Samuelu LALONIU (since 21 July 2017); address: 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1104, New York, NY 10017; telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534; FAX: [1] (212) 808-4975

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister

Chief Of State

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Iakoba TAEIA Italeli (since 16 April 2010)

Election Results

Kausea NATANO elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote count on 19 September 2019 - 10 to 6

Elections Appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of House of Assembly following parliamentary elections

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Kausea NATANO (since 19 September 2019)

Flag Description

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 on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean

Government Type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

1 October 1978 (from the UK)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and not less than 3 appeals judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

Court of Appeal judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; High Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; chief justice serves for life; other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet after consultation with chief justice; judge tenure set by terms of appointment

Subordinate Courts

magistrates' courts; island courts; land courts

Legal System

mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral House of Assembly or Fale I Fono (16 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16 (9 members reelected)

Elections

last held on 9 September 2019 (next to be held on September 2023)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Afaese MANOA

Name

"Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

National Symbol S

maneapa (native meeting house); national colors: light blue, yellow

Political Parties And Leaders

there are no political parties but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

coconuts; fish

Budget

Expenditures

32.46 million (2012 est.)

Revenues

42.68 million (2013 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

25.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2012

10.6%

31 December 2013

10.6%

Current Account Balance

2016

$8 million

2017

$2 million

Debt External

NA

Economy Overview

Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. Only eight of the atolls are inhabited. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, with its highest point at 4.6 meters above sea level. The country is isolated, almost entirely dependent on imports, particularly of food and fuel, and vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels, which pose significant challenges to development.The public sector dominates economic activity. Tuvalu has few natural resources, except for its fisheries. Earnings from fish exports and fishing licenses for Tuvalu’s territorial waters are a significant source of government revenue. In 2013, revenue from fishing licenses doubled and totaled more than 45% of GDP.Official aid from foreign development partners has also increased. Tuvalu has substantial assets abroad. The Tuvalu Trust Fund, an international trust fund established in 1987 by development partners, has grown to $104 million (A$141 million) in 2014 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. While remittances are another substantial source of income, the value of remittances has declined since the 2008-09 global financial crisis, but has stabilized at nearly $4 million per year. The financial impact of climate change and the cost of climate related adaptation projects is one of many concerns for the nation.

Exchange Rates

2016

1.3442

2017

1.311

Currency

Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

Exports

2004

$1 million

2010

$600,000

Exports Commodities

copra, fish

Exports Partners

US 18.2%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 17%, Fiji 14.8%, Nigeria 14.2%, Germany 8.2%, South Africa 5.9%, Colombia 5.1% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

43.7% (2016 est.)

Government Consumption

87% (2016 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-66.1% (2016 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

24.3% (2016 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

24.5% (2012 est.)

Industry

5.6% (2012 est.)

Services

70% (2012 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$40 million (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$3,600

2016

$3,700

2017

$3,800

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$39.48 million

2016

$40.68 million

2017

$42 million

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

9.1%

2016

3%

2017

3.2%

Imports

2017

$19.09 billion

2018

$20.69 billion

Imports Commodities

food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports Partners

Singapore 33.4%, South Korea 11.5%, Australia 10.8%, NZ 8%, Fiji 7.5%, Chile 6.1%, South Africa 5%, Japan 5% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

-26.1% (2012 est.)

Industries

fishing

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

3.5%

2017

4.1%

Labor Force

3,615 (2004 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

note: most people make a living through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls - and through overseas remittances (mostly from workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

2014

$0

Population Below Poverty Line

26.3% (2010 est.)

Public Debt

2016

47.2% of GDP

2017

37% of GDP

Taxes And Other Revenues

106.7% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Unemployment Rate

NA

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (2014 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

98.5% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

99.4% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

100% (2016)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

96% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

0% of total installed capacity (2014)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2014)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

5,100 kW (2011 est.)

Electricity Production

11.8 million kWh (2011 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2014)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

9 (2017 est.)

Total

1,000

Broadcast Media

no TV stations; many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2019)

Internet Country Code

.tv

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

46% (July 2016 est.)

Total

5,042

Telephone System

Domestic

radiotelephone communications between islands; fixed-line 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular 69 per 100 (2018)

General Assessment

serves particular needs for internal communications; small global scale of 10,000 people on 9 inhabited islands; mobile subscriber penetration at 40% and broadband at 10% penetration; govt owned and sole provider of telecommunications services; satellite technology; hopeful future 5-year contract to improve high speed Internet for schools, hospitals and banks; 3G not launched yet (2018)

International

country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

18 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

2,000

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

69 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

7,600

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2013)

Total

1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

T2 (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 24, container ship 1, general cargo 41, oil tanker 25, other 163 (2018)

Total

254

Ports And Terminals

Funafuti

Roadways

Paved

8 km (2011)

Total

8 km (2011)

Military And Security Forces

no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2012)

Disputes International

none