:Tuvalu Geography
Total area:
26 km2
Land area:
26 km2
Comparative area:
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
24 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly
gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain:
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
severe tropical storms are rare
Note:
located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
:Tuvalu People
Population:
9,494 (July 1992), growth rate 1.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
28 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
34 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
61 years male, 64 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Tuvaluans(s); adjective - Tuvaluan
Ethnic divisions:
96% Polynesian
Religions:
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i
1%, other 0.6%
Languages:
Tuvaluan, English
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
NA
Organized labor:
none
:Tuvalu Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
democracy
Capital:
Funafuti
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands)
Constitution:
1 October 1978
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (Palamene)
Judicial branch:
High Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Tupua LEUPENA (since 1 March 1986)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16 October 1989); Deputy Prime
Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
none
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Parliament:
last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by NA September 1993); results
- percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total)
Member of:
ACP, C (special), ESCAP, SPC, SPF, UPU
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador (vacant)
US:
none
Flag:
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 symbolizing the nine islands
:Tuvalu Economy
Overview:
Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil.
The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence
farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too
small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government
revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker
remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international
trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK and
supported also by Japan and South Korea.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - $4.6 million, per capita $530; real growth rate
NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.9% (1984)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $4.3 million; expenditures $4.3 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
$1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.)
commodities:
copra
partners:
Fiji, Australia, NZ
Imports:
$2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.)
commodities:
food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
partners:
Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA
Electricity:
2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 330 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
fishing, tourism, copra
Agriculture:
coconuts, copra
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $101 million
Currency:
Tuvaluan dollar and Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Tuvaluan dollar
($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3117 (March
1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267
(1987)
Fiscal year:
NA
:Tuvalu Communications
Highways:
8 km gravel
Ports:
Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine:
1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,043 GRT/450 DWT
Civil air:
no major transport aircraft
Airports:
1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 300 radiotelephones; 4,000 radios;
108 telephones