"text":"Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of \"The Friendly Islands\" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand"
},
"Geographic coordinates":{
"text":"20 00 S, 175 00 W"
},
"Map references":{
"text":"Oceania"
},
"Area":{
"total":{
"text":"747 sq km"
},
"land":{
"text":"717 sq km"
},
"water":{
"text":"30 sq km"
}
},
"Area - comparative":{
"text":"four times the size of Washington, DC"
},
"Land boundaries":{
"text":"0 km"
},
"Coastline":{
"text":"419 km"
},
"Maritime claims":{
"territorial sea":{
"text":"12 nm"
},
"exclusive economic zone":{
"text":"200 nm"
},
"continental shelf":{
"text":"200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation"
}
},
"Climate":{
"text":"tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)"
},
"Terrain":{
"text":"mostly flat islands with limestone bedrock formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic rock"
"text":"cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou",
"volcanism":{
"text":"moderate volcanic activity; Fonualei (elev. 180 m) has shown frequent activity in recent years, while Niuafo'ou (elev. 260 m), which last erupted in 1985, has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua"
}
},
"Environment - current issues":{
"text":"deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution"
},
"signed, but not ratified":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)"
"text":"Protestant 64.9% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 37.3%, Free Church of Tonga 11.4%, Church of Tonga 7.2%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 2.6%, Assembly of God 2.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Constitutional Church of Tonga 0.9%, Anglican 0.8% and Full Gospel Church 0.2%), Mormon 16.8%, Roman Catholic 15.6%, other 1.1%, none 0.03%, unspecified 1.7% (2006 est.)"
"text":"active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)"
"text":"King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012); note - on 18 March 2012, King George TUPOU V died and his brother, Crown Prince TUPOUTO'A Lavaka, assumed the throne as TUPOU VI"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Prime Minister 'Akilisi POHIVA (since 30 December 2014)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch; election last held on 21 December 2010 (next to be held in November 2014)"
},
"election results":{
"text":"'Akilisi POHIVA (Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands) elected prime minister by parliament on 29 December 2014; vote - 15 of 26 votes"
"text":"unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (26 seats; 17 people's representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 9 indirectly elected by hereditary leaders; members serve 3-year terms)"
"text":"Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council, the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers"
"text":"Supreme Court; Magistrate's Courts; Land Courts"
}
},
"Political parties and leaders":{
"text":"Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands [Samuela 'Akilisi POHIVA] ++ People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO] ++ Sustainable Nation-Building Party [Sione FONUA] ++ Tonga Democratic Labor Party ++ Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM"
},
"Political pressure groups and leaders":{
"text":"Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman] ++ Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]"
"text":"red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross reflects the deep-rooted Christianity in Tonga; red represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice; white signifies purity"
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"red cross on white field, arms equal length; national colors: red, white"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Ko e fasi `o e tu\"i `o e `Otu Tonga\" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT"
},
"note":{
"text":"in use since 1875; more commonly known as \"Fasi Fakafonua\" (National Song)"
"text":"Tonga has a small, open, island economy and is the last constitutional monarchy among the Pacific Island countries. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, make up two-thirds of total exports. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. Tonga had 45,000 visitors in 2013. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. ++ ++ The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from overseas Tongans to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, encouraging investment, and is committing increased funds for healthcare and education. Tonga's English-speaking and educated workforce offer a viable labor market, and the tropical climate provides fertile soil. Renewable energy and deep sea mining also offer opportunities for investment. ++ ++ Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well developed social services. The government faces high unemployment among the young, moderate inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures."
"text":"competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Digicel Tonga Limited is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; both parties provide high speed Internet, mobile telephone networks, and international telecom services; Digicel also holds a telecommunication license after its acquisition of TonFon (a subsidiary of former Shoreline Communications Tonga); submarine cable infrastructure, managed by Tonga Cable Limited, has also been brought to the country by Asian Development Bank and World Bank aid"
"text":"1 state-owned TV station and 3 privately owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services are available; 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned radio stations; Radio Australia broadcasts available via satellite (2015)"
"text":"Tonga Defense Services (TDS): Land Force (Royal Guard), Maritime Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2013)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"16 years of age for voluntary enlistment (with parental consent); no conscription; the king retains the right to call up \"all those capable of bearing arms\" in wartime (2012)"
