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: Macky Sall
Population
10,619
12,969,606
Life Expectancy
65.110 years
60.180 years
Capital City
Dakar
Largest city
Funafuti (population: 4,749)
Dakar (population: 2,476,400)
Human Development Index
0
0.502
GDP per capita
$1,900 US
Literacy Rate
%
39.3%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
3.4
Percentage of Women in Parliament
0%
29.2%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
48.000%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy
republic
Independence date
4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960
Religions
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages
Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar 438.77 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
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 Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Area
26 km sq
196,722 km sq
Coastline
24 km
531 km
Climate
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
