Tonga

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia Tonga at a glance Did you know? The word Tonga means south in many Polynesian languages. Captain James Cook gave the archipelago the name "the Friendly Islands" because of the gentle nature of the people he encountered. He did not realise that about the same time some of these people had discussed who would attack his fleet. Region Pacific Population 119,009 (July 2008 estimate) Land Geography: 169 islands, some coral, some volcanic Climate: Tropical modified by trade winds People Religion: Christianity Language: Tongan, English Economy GDP per person (PPP): $5,100 (2007 estimate) GDP by sector: Agriculture: 25%, Industry: 17%, Services: 57% Government Hereditary constitutional monarchy Land Physical geography Tonga is an archipelago directly south of Samoa and 3000 kilometres northeast of Sydney. The archipelago is divided into two parallel belts - low-lying coral-limestone formations in the east, and higher volcanic islands in the west. Tonga’s 169 islands stretch 800 kilometres from north to south and are grouped into three main groups – Togatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u There is a total land area of 748 square kilometres. The largest island, Tongatapu, on which the capital city of Nuku'alofa is located, has an area of 257 square kilometres. The highest point is the volcanic Mt Kao, 1030 metres, in the central Ha’apai group. The coral islands have very little fresh water. Climate Tonga has a warm, moist tropical climate with two main seasons. From November to April the weather is warm and wet, and from May to October temperatures are cooler and it is fairly dry. The average annual temperatures vary from 27°C in the north to 23°C in the south. Rainfall totals range from 1750 millimetres on the main island to 2750 millimetres on Vava'u. Environment Deforestation is a concern as land is cleared for crops to feed increased population and provide export earnings. Large areas of rainforest and bushland remain on the Niua and 'Eua Islands and many of the steep, volcanic islands. Tonga is home to some unique fauna and flora. Animals include two species of iguana and several colonies of flying fox that enjoy sacred status. The incubator bird leaves its eggs to hatch warmed by volcanic mud. The heilala is a small, sweet smelling red flower. More than 100 species of tropical fish live in the reefs around the islands, where beautiful hard and soft corals and black coral grow in abundance. The migrating Antarctic humpback whales come to the warm protected Tongan waters to give birth and to mate between June and November. People Tonga’s population lives on 36 of the 169 islands. The main towns are Nuku’alofa (capital, population 28,899) and Mu’a (4,900) on Tongatapu; Neiafu (4,300) on Vava’u. Education and work have attracted almost as many Tongans to live overseas as live in Tonga. Over 40,000 Tongans live in New Zealand, and roughly 8,000 in Australia and many in the United States and Canada. People Culture and identity Tonga has a complex social structure broken into three tiers: the king, the nobles, and the commoners. Each group has obligations and responsibilities to the other groups. Status and rank play a powerful role in personal relationships, even within families. The extended family is the basic social unit on Tonga, and wealth, food and goods are shared equally among all members. The traditional economy was based on subsistence farming and many Tongans retain some aspects of the traditional lifestyle. Until recently, every Tongan male over 16 years is entitled to two blocks of land totalling approximately 3.3 hectares for crops, but now this no longer possible. However the prevalence of the cash economy, increasing population and the limited supply of land, and the fact that many Tongans live outside the country have made it difficult to maintain a traditional lifestyle. Dance in Tonga has traditionally been an important art form, turning oral histories and folk tales into a visual form praising and honouring gods, chiefs, places and people. Beautiful baskets and mats are woven from pandanus, palm leaves. Health Tonga has one of the highest living standards in the Pacific. Life expectancy is around 70 years. There is good access to health care with either a hospital or a dispensary on each of the main islands. Control of communicable diseases has improved but increasing consumption of junk foods mean diseases such as diabetes are rapidly increasing and putting significant strains on the health system.. Religion and beliefs Christian missionaries arrived in mid-1800s and the faith quickly spread. The constitution declares Sunday to be sacred forever and this is strictly observed. There are no shops open, flights in or out of the country, dockings of large vessels or sport on Sundays. Food and shelter Tongan food consists mostly of root vegetables such as taro and sweet potato, coconut products, fresh fruit, pork, chicken, corned beef, fish and shellfish. The traditional Tongan feast gets cooked in an underground oven, umu, common throughout Polynesia. The most refreshing drink available is coconut juice. Kava, a mild intoxicant made from the roots of a plant in the pepper family, is widely used in ceremonial and social situations. Homes in Tonga vary from the traditional coconut leaf and timber houses in the villages, to the frame or cement block homes in towns. Many newer city homes are being built to be cyclone-resistant. Economy Wealth and poverty As Tonga becomes more connected to the world the traditional patterns of social security are challenged and landlessness and unemployment are major problems, especially among young people. A substantial part of the country’s income is from foreign aid and remittances, money sent home by Tongans employed overseas. About 24% of the population live below the poverty line.. Education and work Primary education between ages 6 and 14 is compulsory and free in state schools, resulting in a high literacy rate of 99%. Mission schools provide about 83% of the primary and 90% of the secondary level education. There is some higher education in teaching, nursing, agricultural and medical training but most higher education is pursued overseas. Industries and products Tonga's small, open economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in world commodity prices and susceptible to natural disasters such as cyclones. Most Tongans live a subsistence agriculture lifestyle. The squash and vanilla bean industries are being developed for the export market. There is a large cottage industry manufacturing handcrafts and tourism is important. Trade Geographic isolation and a narrow resource base restrict the scope for broadening exports. Japan, USA, New Zealand and United Kingdom are the main export markets for the agricultural products: squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper and fish. Tonga imports foodstuffs, machinery, transport equipment, fuels and chemicals mainly from New Zealand, Fiji and Australia. The amount imported is much greater than exported. Achievements and challenges Cyclones are common between October and April and Fonuafo’ou experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity. There are national parks to protect land and marine areas but deforestation is an issue as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement. There is some damage to coral reefs, from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors. Excessive hunting threatens native sea turtle populations. There are high levels of emigration among its well-educated workforce coupled with dependency on their remittances, a narrow base of economic activity, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in world commodity prices and a lack of youth development and employment opportunities. Links with Australia Australia has long-standing and friendly relations with Tonga, including trade, employment, education, aid and defence cooperation programs. The King and the current Prime Minister studied in Australia. Tongan migrants have come to Australia to study, work or to join family members since the 1970s. Tongans have tended to migrate in families and maintain strong kinship ties. The latest Census in 2006 recorded 7580 Tonga-born people in Australia, a decrease of 1.8 per cent from the 2001 Census. The 2006 distribution by state and territory showed New South Wales had the largest number with 4920 followed by Victoria (1190), Queensland (1090) and Australian Capital Territory (170).Tongans have achieved notable success in sport, with Tongan athletes contributing to the Australian Rugby Union and Rugby League teams. Australia is the largest aid donor to Tonga and is contributing to improved governance and accountability, stronger economic growth and better service delivery. Improving the quality of life of the people of the Ha'apai island group is a special focus of the aid program. Main sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http:/ / hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/index.html

Selling watermelon at the market in Nuku'alofa. Peter Davis/AusAID