Tonga Defense Forces - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Coastline: 419 km (est.)

People

Population: 10 4 000(July 1986), average annual growth rate 1.5%

Nationality: noun—Tongan(s); adjective—

Tongan

Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, about 300

Europeans

Religion: Christian; Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30O00 adherents

Language: Tongan, English

Infant mortality rate: 6.4/1,000 (1983)

Life expectancy: 58

Literacy 90-95%; compulsory education for children ages 6-14

Labor force: 75% engaged in agriculture;

600 engaged in mining

Tonga

Government

Official name: Kingdom of Tonga

Type: constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth

Capital: Nukualofa, on Tongatapu Island

Political suf-divisions: three main island groups (Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Vava u)

Legal system: based on English law

Branches: executive—King, Cabinet and Privy Council; unicameral legislature—Legislative Assembly composed of seven nobles elected by their peers, seven elected representatives of the people, eight Ministers of the Crown; the King appoints one of the seven nobles to be the speaker; judiciary— Supreme Court, Magistrate’s Court, Land Court

Government leaders: Taufa’ahau TUPOU IV, King (since December 1965'; Prince Fatafehi TU’IPELEHAKE), Premier (since December 1965)

Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying males and all literate females over 21

Elections: supposed to be held every three years; last held in April 1978

Communists: none known

Member of: ADB, Commonwealth, FAO, ESCAP, GATT (de facto), IFAD, ITU South Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Economy

GNP: $65 million (1984V $580 per capita

Natural resources· fish

Agriculture: largely dominated by coconut and banana production, with subsistence crops of taro, yams, sweet potatoes, breadfruit

Major industry, tourism

Electric potter. 5,000 kW capacity (1985); 8 million kWh produced (1985), 75 kWh per capita

Exports: $7 million (1979); 65% copra, 8% bananas, 7% coconut products

Imports: $29 million (1979); food, machinery, petroleum

Major trade partners exports—36% Australia, 34% New Zealand, 14% US; imports 38% New Zealand, 31% Australia, 6% Japan, 5% Fiji (1979)

Aid: economic commitments—$27 million (1983); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF (1970-81), $77 million

Budget: (1981-82) revenues, 14,744,237 pa’anga; expenditures, 14,735,833 pa’anga (est.)

Monetary conversion rate: 1.0778 pa’anga=US$l (February 1984)

Fiscal year: 1 July- 30 June

Communications

Railroads: none

Highways: 198 km sealed road (Tongatapu);

74 km (Vava’u); 94 km unsealed roads usable only in dry weather

Inland waterways: none

Ports: 2 minor (Nukualofa, Neiafu)

Civil air: no major transport aircraft

Airfields: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: 2,608 telephones (1.4 per 100 popl.); 65,000 radio sets; no TV sets;

• 1  AM station; 1 ground satellite station

Branches: Land Force, Maritime Force

50 km

Tobago.

Caribbean See

Scerboroug

NOTE: The information regarding Tonga on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tonga 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tonga 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.