Tuvalu

democracyIndependence 1 October 1978 (from UK)

Tuvalu as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 104 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalFunafuti
LocationOceania, Polynesia, 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South
1994

Every edition of Tuvalu

Populationas each edition published it
9,831 people July 1994 est. · 9,136 in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.66% 1994 est. · 1.74% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 24.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 62.64 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.11 children per woman 1994 est. · 3.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
27.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 33 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$700 1990 · $530 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4% 1990 est. · 3.9% in 2025

Geography

Oceania, Polynesia, 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South | Pacific Ocean

23 fields
Coastline
24km
land boundaries: 0 km

Location

Oceania, Polynesia, 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

Map references

Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

26 sq km

land area

26 sq km

comparative area

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Climate

  • tropical;
  • moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
  • westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain

very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

arable land

0%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

0%

forest and woodland

0%

other

100%

current issues

since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, all water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities

natural hazards

severe tropical storms are rare

international agreements

party to - Climate Change, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

People

20 fields
Population
9,831
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 1.66% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
25.73Death
9.15Net migration
0

Religions

Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%Baha'i 1%other 0.6%

Infant mortality rate

27.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

63.03 years

male

61.57 years

female

64.08 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.11 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Tuvaluans(s)

adjective

Tuvaluan

Ethnic divisions

Polynesian 96%

Languages

Tuvaluan, English

total population

NA%

male

NA%

female

NA%

by occupation

NA

Government

Democracy

23 fields

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Tuvalu

former

Ellice Islands

Type

  • democracy;
  • began debating republic status in 1992;
  • referendum expected in 1993

Capital

Funafuti

Independence

1 October 1978 (from UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution

1 October 1978

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Tomu Malaefono SIONE (since NA 1993)

head of government

Prime Minister Kamuta LATASI (since 10 December 1993); Deputy Prime Minister Otinielu TAUSI (since 10 December 1993)

cabinet

Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister

Parliament (Palamene)

  • elections last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997);
  • results - percent of vote NA;
  • seats - (12 total)

Judicial branch

High Court

Member of

ACP, AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US

Tuvalu has no mission in the US

Flag

  • light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant;
  • the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

Economy

Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor | soil.

25 fields
Real growth rate
4%
(1990 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%

Overview

Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry.

Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.

National product

GNP - exchange rate conversion - $6.4 million (1990)

revenues

$4.3 million

expenditures

$4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Exports

$165,000 (f.o.b., 1989)

commodities

copra

partners

Fiji, Australia, NZ

Imports

$4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989)

commodities

food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

partners

Fiji, Australia, NZ

capacity

2,600 kW

production

3 million kWh

consumption per capita

330 kWh (1990)

Industries

fishing, tourism, copra

Agriculture

coconuts and fish

recipient

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $101 million

Currency

1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4364 (January 1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989)

Communications

11 fields

total

8 km

unpaved

gravel 8 km

Ports

Funafuti, Nukufetau

Merchant marine

7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 57,067 GRT/102,037 DWT, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 2, passenger-cargo 1

total

1

usable

1

with permanent-surface runways

0

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

0

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

1

Telecommunications

  • broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV;
  • 300 radiotelephones;
  • 4,000 radios;
  • 108 telephones

Defense Forces

Police Force

2 fields

Branches

Police Force

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GNP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Tuvalu.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tuvalu/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →