Tonga

Location:

Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Border Countries:

Terrain:

most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Geography:

archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

Capital:

Nuku'alofa

About 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.

Population:

119,009 (July 2008 est.)

Language:

Tongan, English

Religion:

Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Phone Service:

competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television

Currency:

pa'anga (TOP)

Climate:

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

Natural Hazards:

cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou