Environment - current issues:
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
People Tonga
Population:
112,422 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.2% (male 20,738/female 19,907)
15-64 years: 59.7% (male 33,226/female 33,853)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,031/female 2,667) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.46 years
male: 19.93 years
female: 21.02 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.98% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
25.18 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
5.35 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)