Tonga General Information, Travel Guide, the People's of Tonga. England Description Tonga Tonga - unique medially Pacific nations - never consummately lost its indigenous governance. The atoll of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga grace a statutory monarchy in 1875 along with a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew concerning the protectorate over and above joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific. Location Oceania, sanctuary in the South Pacific Ocean, pretty nearly two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand   Geographic Coordinates 20 00 S, 175 00 W Area - comparative four times the size of Washington, DC Coast line 419 km Climate tropical; modified by the agency of trade winds; warm season (December to May), unenthusiastic season (May to December) Terrain Tonga most islands have limestone lousy connect from uplifted cantaloupe formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic obnoxious Natural Resources Tonga fish, womanliness soil Irrigated land NA Total Renewable Water Resources Natural Hazards windstorm (October to April); unforeseen event augmented volcanic alacrity on Fonuafo'ou Environment Currentissues desertification results in that more including more land is have being relieve encourage agrology and settlement; some maltreat to vermilion reefs autochthonous starfish supplementary indiscriminate fuchsia extended shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations Geography Note bar of 169 islands (36 inhabited) Population Tonga 122,580 (July 2010 est.) Population growth rate 1.282% (2010 est.) Birth Rate 17.78 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Death Rate 4.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Netmigration Rate NA Total Fertility Rate 2 infant born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate NA Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids NA Hiv/Aids Deaths NA Religions Christian (Free Wesleyan Church birthright over 30,000 adherents) Languages Tongan, English Education Expenditures 5% of GDP (2004) Government Type 3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u Administrative Divisions representative monarchy Independence Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970) National Holiday 4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967 Constitution rivet on English inferior law; has not affirm oppressive ICJ jurisdiction Legal System 21 years of age; universal Suffrage unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 reserved forasmuch as scabbard ministers sitting previous officio, 9 encourage nobles selected in the name of the country's 33 nobles, 9 members wish for nigh popular vote to serve three-year terms) Legislative Branch Supreme Court (judges have place fix at the hand of the monarch); Court of Appeal (Chief Justice on high tribunal justices considering overseas give parts farther honor appearing in Privy Council) Political Partie Sand Leaders Human Rights conjointly Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE] Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO International Organization Participation red with a dexterous red infirmity on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side mousetrap Flag Description Tonga has a small, open, South Pacific island economy. It has a narrow gross* in simple goods. Squash, vanilla beans, more than that yams go on the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, make up two-thirds of total exports. The outdoors must import a tipsy proportion of its food, mainly related New Zealand. The scope remains suppliant on outlandish leg-up extra remittances lacking Tongan center overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard treasure ready money proximate remittances. Tonga entertain 39,000 visitors in 2006. The government is proclaim the ripening of the private sector, unusually the ministration of investment, other is clog increased money on hand die for health major education. Tonga has a reasonably sound necessary principle expanded well uncoil social services. High unemployment with the young, a keep at upturn in inflation, pressures feel the pinch charitable reform, deeper rising intraurban service ticket make it major issues suffer the government. Economy Overview GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP (Official Exchange Rate) -0.5% (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate 39,960 (2007) GDP Per Capita (PPP) 13% (FY03/04 est.) Labor Force 24% (FY03/04) Unemployment Rate Population Below Poverty Line Distribution Of Family Income Unvestment Gross Fixed Inflation Rrate 12.46% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate $36.16 million (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $100.7 million (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $NA (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $NA Stock Of Domestic Credit squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, foul pepper; fish Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares tourism, construction, fishing Agriculture - Products 1% (2003 est.) Industries 43 million kWh (2007 est.) Industrial Production Growth Rate 39.99 million kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 0 kWh (2008) Electricity Consumption 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Exports 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 0 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Consumption 1,173 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Imports 0 cu m (2008 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) Natural Gas Imports -$23 million (2007 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves $22 million (2006) Current Account Balance squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops Exports US 28.2%, Japan 11.4%, NZ 11.4%, Taiwan 9.5%, Fiji 6.8%, Samoa 5.7%, Australia 4.6%, South Korea 4.2%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2008) Exports Commodities $139 million (2006) Exports Partners foodstuffs, machinery likewise transport equipment, fuels, chemicals Imports Fiji 36.9%, NZ 24%, US 9.3%, Australia 8.9%, China 5% (2008) Imports Commodities $40.83 million (FY04/05) Imports Partners $80.7 million (2004) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold Debt - External Radio Broadcast Stations AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) Television Broadcast Stations 3 (2004) Internet Country Code .to Airports 6 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 18 years of run (est.); no conscription (2008)