Tuvalu

In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.

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

• since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other);
• beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials;
• excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel;
• damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish;
• Tuvalu is concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table;
• in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth;
• six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean;
• Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons;
• Niulakita does not have a lagoon

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.59 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

noun:

Tuvaluan(s)

adjective:

Tuvaluan

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Tuvalu

local long form:

none

local short form:

Tuvalu

former:

Ellice Islands

note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands

name:

Funafuti

geographic coordinates:

8 30 S, 179 12 E

time difference:

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

note: administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet

chief of state:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)

head of government:

Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA (since 14 August 2006)

cabinet:

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

elections:

• the monarch is hereditary;
• governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister;
• prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of parliament;
• election last held 14 August 2006 (next to be held following parliamentary elections in 2010)

election results:

Apisai IELEMIA elected prime minister in a parliamentary election on 14 August 2006

• High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji);
• eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)

• 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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

serves particular needs for internal communications

domestic:

radiotelephone communications between islands

international:

country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite

total:

8 km

country comparison to the world: 219

paved:

8 km (2002)

males age 16-49:

2,462

females age 16-49:

2,631 (2009 est.)

male:

125

female:

121 (2009 est.)