Tonga

Where is Tonga?

Located in Oceania, Tonga is an island nation. It has a 419.00 km coastline.

Nuku’alofa is the capital of the state of Tonga. It is located on the island of Tongapatu which is among the many islands in the country. The city became the capital of Tonga in 1875. Nuku’alofa’s scenery is breathtaking which attracts many tourists. Some of the best destinations for visitors are the Maui’s Burden and the National Cultural Center. Nuku’alofa has a tropical rainforest climate resulting in the country receiving lots of rainfall. Average temperatures in the city range from 21 to 25 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

Tonga is an Oceanian country covering 747.00 km² of which 4.02% is water and 717.00 km² is land. This makes it the 21st smallest country in the world and 4 times smaller than Rhode Island. Its geographic coordinates are 20 00 S, 175 00 W and Nuku'alofa is the capital city.

Tonga means "south" in the Tongan language.

Its ISO code is TO.

Geography

Tonga has a mean elevation of 0 m above sea level.

It has a tropical cliamte with a rainy season from June to December. The terrain consists mostly of flat islands with limestone bedrock.

Population

Tonga has a population of 106,513 making it the 191st largest in the world.

English and Tongan are spoken by most people. The major ethnic group most reported is Tongan. The majority of the country is Protestant Christian, Morman, or Roman Catholic.

There are two official languages used in Tonga: English and Tongan. 96.6% of the population in Tonga speaks Tongan.

The dialing code for the country is 676.

Government

Tonga is an independent country. It gained independence in 1970. Its constitution was last ratified in 1875.

The government of Tonga is a constitutional monarchy. It is made up of a kingdom led by the king, a prime minister, deputy prime minister, cabinet ministers, judiciary, and a legislative assembly. Most of the official residences of the state’s leaders have their location in the country’s capital of Nuku’alofa. The Electoral body in Tonga organizes elections every five years. Only registered voters take part in the elections.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Tonga's GDP is $557,000,000.00 (USD) with $5,300.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 211th largest economy and its citizens the 163rd richest in the world. The currency of Tonga is the Pa'anga (TOP).

Its major export partners are Japan, the United States, and Fiji. Its main exports are squash, fish, vanilla beans, and root crops. Its major import partners are Fiji, New Zealand, and China. Its major imports include foodstuffs, machinery, fuels, and chemicals.

Flag

The national flag of Tonga was adopted in 1875. It consists of two colors: red and white. The designer of the flag was King George Tupou I assisted by Shirley Baker. The background of the flag is red with a white portion on the upper left corner of the flag. Inside the white area is a red flag. The dominance of the red color is symbolic of the country’s main religion which is Christianity. The original Tongan flag had a white background with flags similar to those of the Red Cross International Organization. As a result, it was changed to avoid confusion between the two flags. The flag of Tonga is a national symbol of unity as well as the civil flag and ensign.