| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Oceania |
| Geographical Location |
20° 00' South Latitude
175° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
748 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) |
| Natural Resources |
Fish, fertile soil |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
Kingdom of Tonga |
| Capital City |
Nuku'alofa |
| Government Type |
Hereditary constitutional monarchy |
| Administrative Divisions |
3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u |
| Independence Day |
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
112,422 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Tongan |
| Ethnic Groups |
Polynesian, Europeans about 300 |
| Religion |
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents) |
| Languages |
Tongan, English |
| Population Growth Rate |
1.98% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
Pa'anga (TOP) |
| Industries |
Tourism, fishing |
| Labor Force |
33,910 (1996) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 65% (1997 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops |
| Export Partners |
Japan 51.4%, US 24.9%, India 4.1% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals |
| Import Partners |
New Zealand 46.7%, Fiji 21.1%, Australia 10.3%, US 6.7% (2004) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
680 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
6 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+676 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.to |
|
| Other |
|
|
| Short History |
The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900.
Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific. |
|
| www.kfrawy.com |
