Tuvalu
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchyIndependence 1 October 1978 (from the UK)
Tuvalu as the 2022 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 135 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The islands were first populated by voyagers from either Samoa or Tonga in the first millennium A.D., and Tuvalu provided a steppingstone for various Polynesian communities that subsequently settled in Melanesia and Micronesia. Tuvalu eventually came under Samoan and Tongan spheres of influence although proximity to Micronesia allowed some Micronesian communities to flourish in Tuvalu, in particular on Nui Atoll. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Tuvalu was visited by a series of American, British, Dutch, and Russian ships.
The islands were named the Ellice Islands in 1819. The first Christian missionaries arrived in 1861, eventually converting most of the population, and around the same time, several hundred Tuvaluans were kidnapped by people purporting to be missionaries and sent to work on plantations in Peru and Hawaii.
The UK declared a protectorate over the Ellice Islands in 1892 and merged it with the Micronesian Gilbert Islands. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate became a colony in 1916. During World War II, the US set up military bases on a few islands, and in 1943, after Japan captured many of the northern Gilbert Islands, the UK transferred administration of the colony southward to Funafuti. After the war, Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands was once again made the colony’s capital and the center of power was firmly in the Gilbert Islands, including the colony’s only secondary school.
Amid growing tensions with the Gilbertese, Tuvaluans voted to secede from the colony in 1974, were granted self-rule in 1975, and gained independence in 1978 as Tuvalu. In 1979, the US relinquished its claims to Tuvaluan islands in a treaty of friendship.
The Tuvalu Trust Fund was established in 1987 to provide a longterm economic future for the country. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period. The contract was renewed in 2011 for a ten-year period. Tuvalu’s isolation means it sees few tourists; in 2020, Funafuti International Airport had four weekly flights - three to Suva, Fiji, and one to Tarawa. Tuvalu is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change; in 2018, sea levels in Funafuti were rising twice as fast as global averages.
Geography
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia
17 fieldsLand useshare of 26 sq km
Location
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia
Climate
- tropical;
- moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
- westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Natural hazards
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low levels of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level
Geography - note
- 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
People and Society
32 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2022 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2022 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2017 est.)
Religions(2017 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.73 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.53 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Environment
9 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- water needs met by catchment systems;
- the use of sand as a building material has led to beachhead erosion;
- deforestation;
- damage to coral reefs from increasing ocean temperatures and acidification;
- rising sea levels threaten water table;
- in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 11.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 0.01 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 0.01 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
- tropical;
- moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
- westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 66.2% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 2.08% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually:
- 3,989 tons (2011 est.)
- municipal solid waste recycled annually:
- 598 tons (2013 est.)
- percent of municipal solid waste recycled:
- 15% (2013 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); Prime Minister Kausea NATANO (since 19 September 2019)
21 fieldsHouse of Assembly or Fale I Fono, 16 seats, elected 9 September 2019one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Tuvalu
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Tuvalu
- former:
- Ellice Islands
- etymology:
- "tuvalu" means "group of eight" or "eight standing together" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands
Capital
- name:
- Funafuti;
- note - the capital is an atoll of some 29 islets;
- administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet
- geographic coordinates:
- 8 31 S, 179 13 E
- time difference:
- UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- the atoll is named after a founding ancestor chief, Funa, from the island of Samoa
Administrative divisions
7 island councils and 1 town council*; Funafuti*, Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu
Constitution
- history:
- previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986
- amendments:
- proposed by the House of Assembly;
- passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the final reading;
- amended 2007, 2010, 2013;
- note - in 2016, the United Nations Development Program and the Tuvaluan Government initiated a review of the country's constitution, which was ongoing as of early 2021
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- yes
- citizenship by descent only:
- yes; for a child born abroad, at least one parent must be a citizen of Tuvalu
- dual citizenship recognized:
- yes
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- na
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Tofiga Vaevalu FALANI (since 29 August 2021)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Kausea NATANO (since 19 September 2019)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister
- elections/appointments:
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- governor general appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the prime minister;
- prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of House of Assembly following parliamentary elections
- election results:
- Kausea NATANO elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote count on 19 September 2019 - 10 to 6
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral House of Assembly or Fale I Fono (16 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 9 September 2019 (next to be held on September 2023)
- election results:
- percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16 (9 members reelected)
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and not less than 3 appeals judges);
- High Court (consists of the chief justice);
- appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Court of Appeal judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet;
- judge tenure based on terms of appointment;
- High Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet;
- chief justice serves for life;
- other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet after consultation with chief justice;
- judge tenure set by terms of appointment
- subordinate courts:
- magistrates' courts;
- island courts;
- land courts
Political parties and leaders
there are no political parties, but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
International organization participation
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Samuelu LALONIU (since 21 July 2017); note - also Permanent Representative to UN
- telephone:
- [1] (212) 490-0534
- FAX:
- [1] (212) 808-4975
- email address and website:
- email - [email protected]; web address - https://www.un.int/tuvalu/about
- embassy:
- 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1104, New York, NY 10017; note - the Tuvalu Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the Embassy
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Flag description
- 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 on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean
National anthem
- name:
- "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty)
- lyrics/music:
- Afaese MANOA
note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto
Economy
Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil.
32 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2012 est.)
By end use% of GDP · (2016 est.)
Economic overview
Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. Only eight of the atolls are inhabited. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, with its highest point at 4.6 meters above sea level. The country is isolated, almost entirely dependent on imports, particularly of food and fuel, and vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels, which pose significant challenges to development.
The public sector dominates economic activity. Tuvalu has few natural resources, except for its fisheries. Earnings from fish exports and fishing licenses for Tuvalu’s territorial waters are a significant source of government revenue. In 2013, revenue from fishing licenses doubled and totaled more than 45% of GDP.
Official aid from foreign development partners has also increased. Tuvalu has substantial assets abroad. The Tuvalu Trust Fund, an international trust fund established in 1987 by development partners, has grown to $104 million (A$141 million) in 2014 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget.
While remittances are another substantial source of income, the value of remittances has declined since the 2008-09 global financial crisis, but has stabilized at nearly $4 million per year. The financial impact of climate change and the cost of climate related adaptation projects is one of many concerns for the nation.
Agricultural products
coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruit, bananas, roots/tubers nes, pork, poultry, eggs, pig fat, pig offals
Labor force - by occupation
note: most people make a living through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls - and through overseas remittances (mostly from workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Taxes and other revenues
106.7% (of GDP) (2013 est.) note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia
Exports
$10 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $10 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports
$70 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $60 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, fishing ships, tug boats, other ships, iron structures (2019)
Exchange rates
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.311 (2017 est.) · 1.3442 (2016 est.)
Energy
7 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2020)
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.)
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
0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2017–20 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- internal communications needs met;
- small global scale of over 11,000 people on 9 inhabited islands;
- mobile subscriber penetration about 40% and broadband about 10% penetration;
- govt. owned and sole provider of telecommunications services;
- 2G widespread;
- the launch in 2019 of the Kacific-1 satellite will improve the telecommunication sector for the Asia Pacific region (2020)
- domestic:
- radiotelephone communications between islands; fixed-line teledensity over 17 per 100 and mobile-cellular over 76 per 100 (2020)
- international:
- country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production;
progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media
- no TV stations;
- many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations;
- 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2019)
Transportation
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 245 ships by type(2021)
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Military and Security
No regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (Ministry of Justice, Communications, and Foreign Affairs) (2022)
2 fieldsMilitary and security forces
no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (Ministry of Justice, Communications, and Foreign Affairs) (2022)
Military - note
Australia provides support to the Tuvalu Police Force, including donations of patrol boats
Tuvalu 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 Tuvalu'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 (2022)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Tuvalu.” The World Factbook 2022. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tuvalu/2022.