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| Introduction | Tuvalu |
| Background: | In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years. |
| People | Tuvalu |
| Population: | 11,468 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 31.3% (male 1,828; female 1,761) 15-64 years: 63.7% (male 3,530; female 3,770) 65 years and over: 5% (male 227; female 352) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 24.2 years male: 23.1 years female: 25.6 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.44% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 21.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 7.24 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 20.69 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 23.63 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 67.66 years male: 65.47 years female: 69.96 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 3.02 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Tuvaluan(s) adjective: Tuvaluan |
| Ethnic groups: | Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4% |
| Religions: | Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6% |
| Languages: | Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) |
| Literacy: | definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
| Government | Tuvalu |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands former: Ellice Islands |
| Government type: | constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began debating republic status in 1992 |
| Capital: | Funafuti; note - administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet |
| Administrative divisions: | none |
| Independence: | 1 October 1978 (from UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 1 October (1978) |
| Constitution: | 1 October 1978 |
| Legal system: | NA |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Faimalaga LUKA (since 9 September 2003) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held following parliamentary elections in 2006) election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA resigned parliamentary seat on 27 August 2004 following no-confidence vote on 25 August 2004; succeeded by Deputy Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA in an acting capacity on 27 August 2004; Maatia TOAFA confirmed Prime Minister in a Parliamentary election (8-7 vote) on 11 Ocotober 2004 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA (since 11 October 2004) |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15 |
| Judicial branch: | High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction) |
| Political parties and leaders: | there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | none |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AsDB, C, IFRCS (observer), ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | 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 symbolizing the nine islands |
| Communications | Tuvalu |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 700 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 0 (1994) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands international: country code - 688 |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1999) |
| Radios: | 4,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 0 (1997) |
| Televisions: | 800 |
| Internet country code: | .tv |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 1,300 (2002) |
| Transportation | Tuvalu |
| Highways: | total: 8 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 8 km (1999 est.) |
| Ports and harbors: | Funafuti, Nukufetau |
| Merchant marine: | total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,993 GRT/86,048 DWT by type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: Germany 4, Singapore 1, Thailand 1 (2003 est.) |
| Airports: | 1 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Tuvalu |
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Police Force (includes Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA |
| Transnational Issues | Tuvalu |
| Disputes - international: | none |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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