Tuvalu

Location

• Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia
• one of the smallest and most remote countries on earth; six of the nine coral atolls -- Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae -- have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Funafuti	6,320	Capital

Size

• 10 square miles
• 26 square kilometers
• about the size of Washington, D.C.

History

Voyagers from either Samoa or Tonga first populated Tuvalu in the first millennium A.D., and the islands provided a stepping-stone for various Polynesian communities that subsequently settled in Melanesia and Micronesia. Tuvalu eventually came under Samoan and Tongan spheres of influence, although proximity to Micronesia allowed some Micronesian communities to flourish in Tuvalu, in particular on Nui Atoll. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, a series of American, British, Dutch, and Russian ships visited the islands, which were named the Ellice Islands in 1819. The UK declared a protectorate over islands in 1892 and merged them with the Micronesian Gilbert Islands. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate became a colony in 1916. During World War II, the US set up military bases on a few islands, and in 1943, after Japan captured many of the northern Gilbert Islands, the UK transferred administration of the colony southward to Funafuti. After the war, Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands was once again made the colony’s capital, and the center of power was firmly in the Gilbert Islands, including the colony’s only secondary school. Amid growing tensions with the Gilbertese, Tuvaluans voted to secede from the colony in 1974, were granted self-rule in 1975, and gained independence in 1978 as Tuvalu. In 1979, the US relinquished its claims to the Tuvaluan islands in a treaty of friendship.

Climate

tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain

low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Languages

Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Religions

Protestant 92.7% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.9%, Brethren 2.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assemblies of God 1.5%), Baha'i 1.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 3.9%, none or refused 0.4% (2017 est.)

Government

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

• Constitution: history: previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986amendment process: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the final reading
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: mixed system of English common law and local customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Tofiga Vaevalu FALANI (since 29 August 2021)head of government: Prime Minister Feleti Penitala TEO (since 27 February 2024)cabinet: Cabinet members selected by the prime ministerelection/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the prime minister and the parliament; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of House of Assembly following parliamentary electionselection results: 2024: TEO was the only candidate nominated by the House of Assembly2019: Kausea NATANO elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote - 10 to 6
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and not less than 3 appeals judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; High Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; chief justice serves for life; other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet after consultation with chief justice; judge tenure set by terms of appointmentsubordinate courts: magistrates' courts; island courts; land courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament (Palamene)legislative structure: unicameralchamber name: Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu)number of seats: 16 (all directly elected)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 1/26/2024percentage of women in chamber: 0%expected date of next election: January 2028

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• upper middle-income Pacific island economy; extremely environmentally fragile; currency pegged to Australian dollar; large international aid recipient; subsistence agrarian sector; Te Kakeega sustainable development; domain name licensing incomes
• Budget: revenues: $87 million (2019 est.)expenditures: $88 million (2019 est.)note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: fish, coconut (copra)
• Industries: fishing
• Agricultural Products: coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruits, bananas, root vegetables, pork, chicken, eggs, pork fat, pork offal (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 60% (2022 est.)arable land: 0% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 60% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)forest: 33.3% (2022 est.)other: 6.7% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: ships, refined petroleum, iron structures, fish, hand tools (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 42%, Fiji 24%, Japan 11%, Australia 11%, NZ 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: fish (2023)note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000
• Export Partners: Thailand 88%, Japan 6%, Philippines 3%, Ireland 1%, USA 1% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports