AN INTRODUCTION TO TONGA
Tonga, formally known as the Kingdom of Tonga, is a group of Polynesian islands in Oceania. It is the southernmost group in Polynesia, located in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. Of the archipelago of 171 islands, only 45 are inhabited. These islands are separated into five administrative divisions: 'Eua, Vava'u, Ha'apai, Ongo Niua, and Tongatapu. Its capital city is Nuku'alofa, located on Tongatapu--the largest and most populated island. "Tonga" means "south" in the Tongan language and refers to the country's geographic position in relation to central Polynesia. Also known as "The Friendly Islands," Tonga's land is about four times the size of Washington, D.C. The western islands make up the Tongan Volcanic Arch and are all of volcanic origin, and the eastern islands are non-volcanic and composed of coral limestone and sand.
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POPULATION
As of 2017, the population of Tonga was 106, 479. The majority of the country's residents were native Tongans (97 percent), while 0.8 percent were just part Tongan and the remaining 2.2 percent were other ethnicities or unspecified. The average age of a Tongan is around 23 years old, and the life expectancy is about 76 years old. Additionally, citizenship is not given based on birth; the father must be a citizen of Tonga, and if the child is born out of wedlock, the mother must be a Tongan citizen. 22.5 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
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RELIGION
Tonga is a relatively religious nation. 64.1 percent of the population identifies as Protestant, with more than half of those Protestants part of the Free Wesleyan Church. The remaining denominations of Protestantism prominent in Tonga are the Free Church of Tonga, Assembly of God, Seventh Day Adventist, and Tokaikolo Christian Church. Additionally, 18.6 of the Tongan population are Mormon, and 14.2 percent are Roman Catholic. Only three percent identify with other religions or have no religious affiliation.
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HISTORY
Tonga was first inhabited about 3,000 years ago by Austronesian-speaking people of Lapita culture--people who are originally from Taiwan and East Asia. The Lapita people were mobile sea explorers who excelled in fired pottery. In 1616, Dutch voyagers discovered Niuas, a small group of islands in the northernmost part of the Tongan archipelago, but had very little contact with the Tongans. Later, in 1643, another Dutch explorer named Abel Tasman visited ‘Ata’, ‘Eua, and Tongaputa and had more interactions with the locals. Tonga was then visited by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1773 and again in 1777. He spent two months exploring each island. At the village of Ha’apai, Tongans prepared a lavish feast for Cook and his men. Cook, impressed by their warm hospitality and unaware of their foiled plans to raid his boat and kill his men, named the Kingdom of Tonga "The Friendly Islands" before leaving.
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GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY
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Tonga is politically unique in the sense that it is the only monarchy in the Pacific and never completely lost its indigenous governance. The royal family goes back more than 1,000 years. The Tui Tonga, the sacred monarchs, established rule and served as both king and high priest. The islands were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845 and became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Later in 1970, Tonga withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations. Even though it is a monarchy, it began implementing steps to conduct more representative elections in 2010. The current king is King ʻAhoʻeitu Tupou VI, who began his reign in 2012 following the death of his brother, King George Tupou V.
Tonga has a small, open island economy with a small export base in agricultural goods. Vanilla beans, squash, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, consist two-thirds of total exports. Tourism is the second-largest source of earnings. Tonga imports much of its food from New Zealand.
Tonga has a small, open island economy with a small export base in agricultural goods. Vanilla beans, squash, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, consist two-thirds of total exports. Tourism is the second-largest source of earnings. Tonga imports much of its food from New Zealand.