Tonga

Background: The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.
Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. . Area: Total: 748 sq km, water: 30 sq km, land: 718 sq km. Area - comparative: Four times the size of Washington, DC. Land boundaries: 0 km. Coastline: 419 km.
Climate and Terrain: Climate: Tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December). Terrain: Most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base. Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m, highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m. Natural resources: Fish, fertile soil.
People: Population: 106,137. Ethnic groups: Polynesian, Europeans about 300. Religions: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents). Languages: Tongan, English.
Government: Government type: Hereditary constitutional monarchy. Capital: Nuku'alofa. Independence: 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate).
Economy overview: Tonga has a small, open economy with a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. Tourism is the second largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonable basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. GDP - composition by sector: Agriculture: 30%, industry: 10%, services: 60%.
Statistics: Telephones - main lines in use: 8,000. Telephones - mobile cellular: 302. Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1. Radios: 61,000. Television broadcast stations: 2. Televisions: 2,000. Internet users: 1,000. Railways: 0 km. Highways: Total: 680 km, paved: 184 km, unpaved: 496 km. Airports: 6, with paved runways: 2, with unpaved runways: 4.