Tonga

Official name: Kingdom of Tonga

Capital city: Nuku’alofa

Internet country code: .to

Flag description: Red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner

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

Total area: 288 sq. mi. (747 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

Nationality: noun: Tongan(s); adjective: Tongan

Population: 116,921 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Tongan 98%, other Polynesian, European

Languages spoken: Tongan, English

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

(also Tonka, Batonga, or Batonka), a people in Zambia and Rhodesia.

The Tonga inhabit the Tonga plateau and the middle course of the Zambezi River. They number about 450,000 (1973, estimate). Their language belongs to the central group of the Bantu family. Their religion is based on ancestor worship and a cult of the forces of nature; there are some Christians among the Tonga, mainly in the propertied classes. The Tonga social structure contains vestiges of the tribal system, such as secret societies and matrilineal kin groups. The main occupation of the Tonga is land cultivation (maize is the main crop); some of them engage in cattle raising.

(Kingdom of Tonga), a state in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Tonga is part of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Located in the Tonga islands (Friendly Islands), Tonga comprises three groups of islands: Vava’u, Ha’apai, and Tongatapu, and about 150 other small islands. Area, 699 sq km. Population (1975), 100,000. The capital is the city of Nukualofa, on the island of Tongatapu. The kingdom is divided administratively into three regions—Tongatapu, Ha’apai, and Vava’u.

Constitution and government. Tonga is a constitutional monarchy. The present constitution was adopted in 1875, and amendments have been adopted since then. The government is headed by a king, who appoints a cabinet, convenes sessions of Parliament, and has the power of pardon. Legislative authority is vested in a unicameral parliament called the Legislative Assembly; seven of its members are elected by the population, seven are chosen by the royal nobility, and other members are in the government. Parliament is convened for a three-year term. All citizens have the right to vote (women received the franchise in 1960). National judicial bodies were created after 1970.

Natural features. The two parallel chains of the Tonga islands are located on a submerged mountain range that stretches meridionally and is bounded in the east by a deep trench (10,882 m). The western chain is more than 700 km long; it is composed of mountainous volcanic islands rising in sharp peaks up to 1,029 m high. There are active volcanoes, some of which are submerged (Fonuafoo, or Falcon Island). The eastern limestone chain consists mainly of atolls and uplifted coral islands, ranging in elevation from several meters to 200 m. The islands have a tropical marine climate. From December to April there is a warmer and more moist season with prevailing northwesterly and northerly winds; the cooler and drier season lasts from May to November, and its predominant winds are southeasterly trade winds. The average temperature is 26.1°C in February and 20.3°C in August. Annual precipitation is about 2,000 mm. The only islands that have rivers are Eua and Niuatoputapu. The soils of the archipelago are fertile red earths. The islands are covered with dense tropical forests, with numerous tree ferns, palms, guavas, and lianas. The main areas of jungle are on the volcanic islands. The area is poor in fauna. Mammals are represented by rats and mice; and there are about 30 species of birds, including doves, parrots, and corncrakes. There are snakes, lizards, and such insects as mosquitoes, beetles, and ants. There are numerous species of fish, sea turtles, and mollusks.

Population. The Tongans, a Polynesian people, compose 98 percent of the kingdom’s population. European-Polynesian métis, who are linguistically and culturally close to the Tongans, account for less than 1 percent of the population. There are also Polynesians from other islands, as well as Europeans (primarily British and Anglo-Australian). Most of the inhabitants are Methodists. There are also small groups of Catholics and other Christian denominations. The official languages are Tongan and English. The Gregorian calendar is used.

The annual population growth for the period 1970–74 was 2.9 percent. As of 1966, 74 percent of the population was employed in agriculture. The average population density (1975) is 143 persons per sq km, but the real density is greater, since the population is distributed very unevenly and one-fifth of the land area is uninhabited. Tongatapu, which has more than 60 percent of the population, is the most densely populated (about 220 persons per sq km). About 18 percent of the population is urban (1970, estimate). About one-third of the population lives in the cities of Nukualofa, Pangai (Lifuka Island in the Ha’apai group), and Neiafu (Vava’u Island).

Historical survey. In the late fifth and early sixth centuries, the Tonga islands were inhabited by Polynesians. The first state formations, in which leadership was hereditary, appeared in about the tenth century. The Europeans discovered the islands in the 17th century and sent missionaries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1900 a British protectorate was established over the islands. The islands were formally regarded as self-governing territories, but in fact they were under the control of the British consul. In 1958 the islands’ autonomy was somewhat broadened; in particular, the government of Tonga obtained the right to conclude trade agreements with other countries. An Anglo-Tongan agreement of 1968 stipulated the gradual lessening of British control over the Tongan government. On June 4, 1970, Tonga’s independence was officially proclaimed.

Since 1964 the government has published The Chronicle, a daily newspaper with a circulation of 13,000 (1974). The government also controls radio broadcasts through the Tonga Broadcasting Commission, established in 1961.

Economy. After the kingdom became independent, the government instituted a program of economic development for 1970–75. The plan devoted the most attention to the production of export crops, the expansion of fishing, and the improvement of the infrastructure.

Agriculture is the basis of the economy. In 1971, 55,000 hectares (ha) of land was devoted to agriculture, of which 24,000 ha was plowland, 29,000 ha was under perennial crops, and 2,000 ha was under meadows and pastureland. The best lands belong to the royal family and the hereditary nobility, who rent them to peasants. The main export crops include coconut palm (115,000 tons of coconuts and 13,500 tons of copra in 1974) and bananas (4,000 tons); citrus fruits (4,000 tons) and pineapples are also important. Crops grown for local consumption include sweet potatoes (6,000 ha and 77,000 tons in 1974), cassava (3,000 ha and 26,000 tons), yams, and taro. The population also engages in fishing and the raising of livestock and poultry. In 1974 there were 3,000 head of cattle, 32,000 swine, and 5,000 goats. (These sectors produce for the local market.) Industries include sawmills and establishments for the processing of agricultural raw material. Exploration for petroleum is under way.

The main seaports and commercial centers of Tonga are Nukualofa and Neiafu. In 1973–74, the value of exports was 3.2 million pa’angas, and of imports, 8 million pa’angas. The main exports are copra and bananas, and the main imports are machinery and equipment and foodstuffs (sugar, tea, and coffee). Tonga’s main trading partners are New Zealand, Great Britain, and Australia. The islands have international tourism. The monetary unit is the pa’anga; 1 pa’anga = A 1ドル.00.

Education. Elementary education is free and compulsory for children aged 6 to 14. The term of study in the elementary and secondary schools is six years; the latter consists of four-year and two-year terms. During the 1972–73 academic year there were about 16,600 pupils in the elementary schools and 10,100 students in the secondary schools. The islands have a four-year pedagogical college, which trains elementary school teachers.