Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor Prime minister: Willy Telavi Tuvalu has no political parties. Allegiances revolve around personalities and geography. The 15-member parliament is popularly elected every four years. The prime minister is chosen by MPs.
President: Michael D Higgins
Population
10,619
4,722,028
Life Expectancy
65.110 years
80.320 years
Capital City
Dublin
Largest city
Funafuti (population: 4,749)
Dublin (population: 1,024,030)
Human Development Index
0
0.96
GDP per capita
$40,100 US
Literacy Rate
%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
7.7
Percentage of Women in Parliament
0%
15.5%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Pallonji Mistry ($2.5bn US)
Unemployment Rate
14.400%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy
republic, parliamentary democracy
Independence date
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
Religions
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Roman Catholic 87.4%, Church of Ireland 2.9%, other Christian 1.9%, other 2.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.2% (2006 census)
Languages
Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) (official) spoken mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
Exports
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
External Debt
$2,352,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
3
Location
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Area
26 km sq
70,273 km sq
Coastline
24 km
1,448 km
Climate
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
