Tonga

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.

• tropical;
• modified by trade winds;
• warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

agricultural land:

43.1%;

• arable land 22.2%;
• permanent crops 15.3%;
• permanent pasture 5.6%

forest:

12.5%

other:

44.4% (2011 est.)

• 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

party to:

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:

none of the selected agreements

noun:

Tongan(s)

adjective:

Tongan

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.84 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Tonga

conventional short form:

Tonga

local long form:

Pule'anga Tonga

local short form:

Tonga

former:

Friendly Islands

etymology:

"tonga" means "south" in the Tongan language and refers to the country's geographic position in relation to central Polynesia

name:

Nuku'alofa

geographic coordinates:

21 08 S, 175 12 W

time difference:

UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Tonga; if a child is born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Tonga

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

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:

Prime Minister 'Akilisi POHIVA (since 30 December 2014)

cabinet:

Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments:

• 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:

'Akilisi POHIVA (Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands) elected prime minister by parliament on 29 December 2014; vote - 15 of 26 votes

note: a Privy Council advises the monarch

highest court(s):

• 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

judge selection and term of office:

judge appointments and tenures made by the King in Privy Council, judge appointments subject to consent of the Legislative Assembly

subordinate courts:

• Supreme Court;
• Magistrate's Courts;
• Land Courts

• 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mahe'uli'uli Sandhurst TUPOUNIUA (since 10 September 2013)

chancery:

250 E. 51st Street, New York, NY, 10022

telephone:

[1] (917) 369-1025

FAX:

[1] (917) 369-1024

consulate(s) general:

San Francisco

• 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

name:

"Ko e fasi `o e tu"i `o e `Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands)

lyrics/music:

Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT

note: in use since 1875; more commonly known as "Fasi Fakafonua" (National Song)

agriculture:

27.5%

industry:

27.5%

services:

2,006% (2006 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

• 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

domestic:

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 80 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switched network

international:

country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2015)

• 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)

number of registered air carriers:

1; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

75,416

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

0 mt-km (2015)

total:

680 km

paved:

184 km

unpaved:

496 km (2011)

country comparison to the world: 190

• 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)