Tonga
Kingdom of TongaPule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga
constitutional monarchyIndependence 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate status)
Tonga as the 2023 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 152 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The first humans arrived in Tonga around 1000 B.C. The islands’ politics were probably highly centralized under the Tu’i Tonga, or Tongan king, by A.D. 950, and by 1200, the Tu’i Tonga had expanded his influence throughout Polynesia and into Melanesia and Micronesia. The Tongan Empire began to decline in the 1300s, descending into civil wars, a military defeat to Samoa, and internal political strife that saw successive leaders assassinated. By the mid-1500s, some Tu’i Tongans were ethnic Samoan and day-to-day administration of Tonga was transferred to a new position occupied by ethnic Tongans.
Dutch sailors explored the islands in the 1600s and British Captain James COOK visited Tonga three times in the 1770s, naming them the Friendly Islands for the positive reception he thought he received, even though the Tongans he encountered were plotting ways to kill him. In 1799, Tonga fell into a new round of civil wars over succession. Wesleyan missionaries arrived in 1822, quickly converting the population. In the 1830s, a low-ranking chief from Ha’apai began to consolidate control over the islands and won the support of the missionaries by declaring that he would dedicate Tonga to God.
The chief soon made alliances with leaders on most of the other islands and was crowned King George TUPOU I in 1845, establishing the only still-extant Polynesian monarchy. TUPOU I declared Tonga a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and his successor, King George TUPOU II, agreed to enter a protectorate agreement with the UK in 1900 after rival Tongan chiefs tried to overthrow him. As a protectorate, Tonga never completely lost its indigenous governance, but it did become more isolated and the social hierarchy became more stratified between a group of nobles and a large class of commoners. Today, about one third of parliamentary seats are reserved for nobles.
Queen Salote TUPOU III negotiated the end of the protectorate in 1965, which was achieved under King TUPOU IV, who in 1970 withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations. A prodemocracy movement gained steam in the early 2000s, led by future Prime Minister ‘Akilisi POHIVA, and in 2006, riots broke out in Nuku’alofa to protest the lack of progress on prodemocracy legislation. To appease the activists, in 2008, King George TUPOU V announced he was relinquishing most of his powers leading up to parliamentary elections in 2010; he died in 2012 and was succeeded by his brother ‘Aho’eitu TUPOU VI. Tropical Cyclone Gita, the strongest-ever recorded storm to impact Tonga, hit the islands in February 2018 causing extensive damage.
Geography
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
17 fieldsLand useshare of 747 sq km
Location
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Climate
- tropical;
- modified by trade winds;
- warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Terrain
mostly flat islands with limestone bedrock formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic rock
Population distribution
over two-thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied
Natural hazards
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou
- volcanism:
- moderate volcanic activity;
- Fonualei (180 m) has shown frequent activity in recent years, while Niuafo'ou (260 m), which last erupted in 1985, has forced evacuations;
- other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua
Geography - note
- the western islands (making up the Tongan Volcanic Arch) are all of volcanic origin;
- the eastern islands are nonvolcanic and are composed of coral limestone and sand
People and Society
37 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2023 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2023 est.)
Male · female
Religions(2021 est.)
Ethnic groups
Tongan 96.5%, other (European, Fijian, Samoan, Indian, Chinese, other Pacific Islander, other Asian, other) 3.5% (2021 est.)
Languages
Tongan only 85%, Tongan and other language 13.9%, Tongan not used at home 1.1% (2021 est.) note: data represent language use at home of persons aged 5 and older
Population distribution
over two-thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.82 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
- male:
- 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Child marriage
- women married by age 15:
- 0.4%
- women married by age 18:
- 10.1%
- men married by age 18:
- 2.8% (2019 est.)
Environment
10 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- deforestation from land being cleared for agriculture and settlement;
- soil exhaustion;
- water pollution due to salinization, sewage, and toxic chemicals from farming activities;
- coral reefs and marine populations threatened
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Climate
- tropical;
- modified by trade winds;
- warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 23.2% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 7.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 0.13 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 0.12 megatons (2020 est.)
Government
Constitutional monarchy; King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012); Prime Minister Siaosi SOVALENI (since 27 December 2021)
21 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- Kingdom of Tonga
- conventional short form:
- Tonga
- local long form:
- Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga
- local short form:
- Tonga
- former:
- Friendly Islands
- etymology:
- "tonga" means "south" in the Tongan language and refers to the country's geographic position in relation to central Polynesia
Capital
- name:
- Nuku'alofa
- geographic coordinates:
- 21 08 S, 175 12 W
- time difference:
- UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- daylight saving time:
- +1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January
- etymology:
- composed of the words nuku , meaning "residence or abode," and alof a, meaning "love," to signify "abode of love"
National holiday
- Official Birthday of King TUPOU VI, 4 July (1959);
- note - actual birthday of the monarch is 12 July 1959, 4 July (2015) is the day the king was crowned;
- Constitution Day (National Day), 4 November (1875)
Constitution
- history:
- adopted 4 November 1875, revised 1988, 2016
- amendments:
- proposed by the Legislative Assembly;
- passage requires approval by the Assembly in each of three readings, the unanimous approval of the Privy Council (a high-level advisory body to the monarch), the Cabinet, and assent to by the monarch;
- revised 1988;
- amended many times, last in 2013
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- no
- citizenship by descent only:
- the father must be a citizen of Tonga; if a child is born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Tonga
- dual citizenship recognized:
- yes
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 5 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012); Heir Apparent Crown Prince Siaosi Manumataogo 'Alaivahamama'o 'Ahoeitu Konstantin Tuku'aho, son of the king (born 17 September 1985)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Siaosi SOVALENI (since 27 December 2021)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch
- elections/appointments:
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch;
- election last held on 18 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025)
- election results:
- Siaosi SOVALENI elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly; Siaosi SOVALENI 16 votes, Aisake EKE 10
note: a Privy Council advises the monarch
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats statutory, 26 current);
- 17 people's representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 9 indirectly elected by hereditary leaders;
- members serve 4-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 18 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025)
- election results:
- percent of vote - NA;
- seats by party (elected members) - independents 11, nobles' representatives 9, DPFI 3, TPPI 3;
- composition - men 26, women 1, percent of women 3.7%
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch);
- note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council, the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers
- judge selection and term of office:
- judge appointments and tenures made by the King in Privy Council and subject to consent of the Legislative Assembly
- subordinate courts:
- Supreme Court;
- Magistrates' Courts;
- Land Courts
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands or DPFI or PTOA [Semisi SIKA]
- People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO]
- Tonga Democratic Labor Party (vacant)
- Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or HRDM ['Uliti UATA]
- Tonga People's Party or PAK or TPPI (Paati ʻa e Kakai ʻo Tonga) [Pohiva TU'I'ONETOA] (split from Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands)
International organization participation
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Viliana Va’inga TONE (since 20 April 2021)
- chancery:
- 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
- telephone:
- [1] (917) 369-1025
- FAX:
- [1] (917) 369-1024
- email address and website:
- [email protected]
- consulate(s) general:
- San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga
Flag description
- red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner;
- the cross reflects the deep-rooted Christianity in Tonga, red represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice, and white signifies purity
National anthem
- name:
- "Ko e fasi `o e tu"i `o e `Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands)
- lyrics/music:
- Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT
note: in use since 1875; more commonly known as "Fasi Fakafonua" (National Song)
Economy
33 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2019 est.)
Economic overview
- upper middle-income Pacific island economy;
- enormous diaspora and remittance reliance;
- key tourism and agricultural sectors;
- major fish exporter;
- rapidly growing Chinese infrastructure investments;
- rising methamphetamine hub
Agricultural products
coconuts, gourds, cassava, sweet potatoes, vegetables, yams, taro, roots/tubers, plantains, lemons/limes
Labor force - by occupation
- agriculture:
- 2,006% (2006 est.)
- industry:
- 27.5% (2006 est.)
- services:
- 2,006% (2006 est.)
Current account balance
-$19.188 million (2021 est.) · -$25.78 million (2020 est.) · -$4.214 million (2019 est.)
Exports
$58.745 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $99.78 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $112.482 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - commodities
natural gas, shellfish, various fruits and nuts, vegetables, cassava, coral and shells (2021)
Imports
$285.675 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $309.685 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $327.395 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, poultry meats, cars, mutton, goat meat, lumber, x-ray equipment, broadcasting equipment (2021)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$361.812 million (31 December 2021 est.) · $298.948 million (31 December 2020 est.) · $218.448 million (31 December 2019 est.)
Exchange rates
pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - 2.265 (2021 est.) · 2.3 (2020 est.) · 2.289 (2019 est.) · 2.237 (2018 est.) · 2.206 (2017 est.)
Energy
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2021)
Installed generating capacity, 26,000 kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 1,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate exports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate imports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- consumption:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- exports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- imports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
171,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 171,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020–21 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- Tonga was only connected to the global submarine telecommunication network in the last decade;
- this system is more stable than other technologies such as satellite and fixed infrastructure (2022)
- domestic:
- fixed-line 10 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity 61 telephones per 100 (2021)
- international:
- country code - 676;
- landing point for the Tonga Cable and the TDCE connecting to Fiji and 3 separate Tonga islands;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2020)
Broadcast media
- 1 state-owned TV station and 3 privately owned TV stations;
- satellite and cable TV services are available;
- 1 state-owned and 5 privately owned radio stations;
- Radio Australia broadcasts available via satellite (2019)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 32 ships by typeone square, one ship · (2022)
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1
Airports - with paved runways
1
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature;
paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
5
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length;
airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Military and Security
6 fieldsMilitary and security forces
His Majesty's Armed Forces Tonga (aka Tonga Defense Services): Tonga Royal Guard, Land Force (Royal Tongan Marines), Tonga Navy, Air Wing; Ministry of Police and Fire Services: Tonga Police Force (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Tonga military's inventory includes mostly light weapons and equipment from Australia, European countries (primarily the UK), and the US;
- nearly all of its military acquisitions in recent years have come from Australia (2023)
Military service age and obligation
voluntary military service for men and women 18-25; no conscription (2023)
Military - note
the HMAF’s primary missions are protecting the King and Tonga’s sovereignty; the HMAF has contributed small numbers of personnel to multinational military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Solomon Islands; it is a small force comprised of a royal guard company, a marine battalion, a few naval patrol boats, and a couple of aircraft for maritime patrolling, search and rescue, and training purposes
Tonga participated in World War I as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but the Tonga Defense Force (TDF) was not established until 1939 at the beginning of World War II; in 1943, New Zealand helped train about 2,000 Tongan troops who saw action in the Solomon Islands; the TDF was disbanded at the end of the war, but was reactivated in 1946 as the Tonga Defense Services (TDS);
in 2013, the name of the TDS was changed to His Majesty’s Armed Forces of Tonga (HMAF); Tongan troops deployed to Iraq from 2004-2008 and Afghanistan to support UK forces from 2010-2014
Tonga has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Tonga's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas;
"shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
- Tonga-Fiji :
- Fiji does not recognize Tonga’s 1972 claim to the Minerva Reefs and their surrounding waters;
- the Minerva Reefs’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone includes valuable fishing grounds
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Tonga.” The World Factbook 2023. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tonga/2023.