Tonga

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 5,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station and 3 privately owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services are available; 1 state-owned and 5 privately owned radio stations; Radio Australia broadcasts available via satellite (2019)

Internet country code

.to

Internet users

total: 73,700 (2021 est.) percent of population: 67% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: Tonga was only connected to the global submarine telecommunication network in the last decade; this system is more stable than other technologies such as satellite and fixed infrastructure (2022) domestic: fixed-line 10 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity 61 telephones per 100 (2021) international: country code - 676; landing point for the Tonga Cable and the TDCE connecting to Fiji and 3 separate Tonga islands; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 11,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 64,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 61 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products

coconuts, gourds, cassava, sweet potatoes, vegetables, yams, taro, roots/tubers, plantains, lemons/limes

Budget

revenues: $212 million (2019 est.) expenditures: $196 million (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

-$19.188 million (2021 est.) -$25.78 million (2020 est.) -$4.214 million (2019 est.)

Debt - external

$189.9 million (31 December 2017 est.) $198.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Economic overview

upper middle-income Pacific island economy; enormous diaspora and remittance reliance; key tourism and agricultural sectors; major fish exporter; rapidly growing Chinese infrastructure investments; rising methamphetamine hub

Exchange rates

pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - 2.265 (2021 est.) 2.3 (2020 est.) 2.289 (2019 est.) 2.237 (2018 est.) 2.206 (2017 est.)

Exports

$58.745 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $99.78 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $112.482 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

natural gas, shellfish, various fruits and nuts, vegetables, cassava, coral and shells (2021)

Exports - partners

United States 22%, South Africa 18%, New Zealand 15%, Australia 13%, South Korea 11% (2021)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate)

$455 million (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 99.4% (2017 est.) government consumption: 21.9% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 24.1% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 22.8% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -68.5% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 19.9% (2017 est.) industry: 20.3% (2017 est.) services: 59.8% (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

37.6 (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$285.675 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $309.685 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $327.395 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, poultry meats, cars, mutton, goat meat, lumber, x-ray equipment, broadcasting equipment (2021)

Imports - partners

New Zealand 36%, China 20%, Fiji 18%, Australia 6%, United States 6% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

1.23% (2021 est.)

Industries

tourism, construction, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.64% (2021 est.) -0.35% (2020 est.) 1.18% (2019 est.)

Labor force

32,000 (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2,006% (2006 est.) industry: 27.5% (2006 est.) services: 2,006% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

22.5% (2010 est.)

Public debt

49.41% of GDP (2016 est.) 51.8% of GDP (FY2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$651.247 million (2021 est.) $669.095 million (2020 est.) $665.842 million (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

-2.67% (2021 est.) 0.49% (2020 est.) 0.71% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$6,100 (2021 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars $6,400 (2020 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars $6,300 (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$361.812 million (31 December 2021 est.) $298.948 million (31 December 2020 est.) $218.448 million (31 December 2019 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

39.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.97% (2021 est.) 3.63% (2020 est.) 3.06% (2019 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 11.1% (2021 est.) male: 7.5% female: 16.3%

Carbon dioxide emissions

171,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 171,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 26,000 kW (2020 est.) consumption: 54.448 million kWh (2019 est.) exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 5.9 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

22.841 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 1,200 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

910 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 7.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 0.13 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 0.12 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

Environment - current issues

deforestation from land being cleared for agriculture and settlement; soil exhaustion; water pollution due to salinization, sewage, and toxic chemicals from farming activities; coral reefs and marine populations threatened

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 43.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 22.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 5.6% (2018 est.) forest: 12.5% (2018 est.) other: 44.4% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 23.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 17,238 tons (2012 est.)

Area

total: 747 sq km land: 717 sq km water: 30 sq km

Area - comparative

four times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

Coastline

419 km

Elevation

highest point: Kao Volcano on Kao Island 1,046 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

20 00 S, 175 00 W

Geography - note

the western islands (making up the Tongan Volcanic Arch) are all of volcanic origin; the eastern islands are nonvolcanic and are composed of coral limestone and sand

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 43.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 22.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 15.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 5.6% (2018 est.) forest: 12.5% (2018 est.) other: 44.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural hazards

cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou volcanism: moderate volcanic activity; Fonualei (180 m) has shown frequent activity in recent years, while Niuafo'ou (260 m), which last erupted in 1985, has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Population distribution

over two-thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied

Terrain

mostly flat islands with limestone bedrock formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic rock

Administrative divisions

5 island divisions; 'Eua, Ha'apai, Ongo Niua, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Capital

name: Nuku'alofa geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January etymology: composed of the words nuku , meaning "residence or abode," and alof a, meaning "love," to signify "abode of love"

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Tonga; if a child is born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Tonga dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: adopted 4 November 1875, revised 1988, 2016 amendments: proposed by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires approval by the Assembly in each of three readings, the unanimous approval of the Privy Council (a high-level advisory body to the monarch), the Cabinet, and assent to by the monarch; revised 1988; amended many times, last in 2013

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga local long form: Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga local short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands etymology: "tonga" means "south" in the Tongan language and refers to the country's geographic position in relation to central Polynesia

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Viliana Va inga TONE (since 20 April 2021) chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 email address and website: tongaunmission@aol.com consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Executive branch

chief of state: King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012); Heir Apparent Crown Prince Siaosi Manumataogo 'Alaivahamama'o 'Ahoeitu Konstantin Tuku'aho, son of the king (born 17 September 1985) head of government: Prime Minister Siaosi SOVALENI (since 27 December 2021) cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch; election last held on 18 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025) election results: Siaosi SOVALENI elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly; Siaosi SOVALENI 16 votes, Aisake EKE 10 note: a Privy Council advises the monarch

Flag description

red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross reflects the deep-rooted Christianity in Tonga, red represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice, and white signifies purity

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate status)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council, the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers judge selection and term of office: judge appointments and tenures made by the King in Privy Council and subject to consent of the Legislative Assembly subordinate courts: Supreme Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land Courts

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats statutory, 26 current); 17 people's representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 9 indirectly elected by hereditary leaders; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 18 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party (elected members) - independents 11, nobles' representatives 9, DPFI 3, TPPI 3; composition - men 26, women 1, percent of women 3.7%

National anthem

name: "Ko e fasi `o e tu"i `o e `Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands) lyrics/music: Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT note: in use since 1875; more commonly known as "Fasi Fakafonua" (National Song)

National holiday

Official Birthday of King TUPOU VI, 4 July (1959); note - actual birthday of the monarch is 12 July 1959, 4 July (2015) is the day the king was crowned; Constitution Day (National Day), 4 November (1875)

National symbol(s)

red cross on white field, arms equal length; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands or DPFI or PTOA [Semisi SIKA] People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO] Tonga Democratic Labor Party (vacant) Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or HRDM ['Uliti UATA] Tonga People's Party or PAK or TPPI (Paati ʻa e Kakai ʻo Tonga) [Pohiva TU'I'ONETOA] (split from Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands)

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Background

The first humans arrived in Tonga around 1000 B.C. The islands politics were probably highly centralized under the Tu i Tonga, or Tongan king, by A.D. 950, and by 1200, the Tu i Tonga had expanded his influence throughout Polynesia and into Melanesia and Micronesia. The Tongan Empire began to decline in the 1300s, descending into civil wars, a military defeat to Samoa, and internal political strife that saw successive leaders assassinated. By the mid-1500s, some Tu i Tongans were ethnic Samoan and day-to-day administration of Tonga was transferred to a new position occupied by ethnic Tongans. Dutch sailors explored the islands in the 1600s and British Captain James COOK visited Tonga three times in the 1770s, naming them the Friendly Islands for the positive reception he thought he received, even though the Tongans he encountered were plotting ways to kill him. In 1799, Tonga fell into a new round of civil wars over succession. Wesleyan missionaries arrived in 1822, quickly converting the population. In the 1830s, a low-ranking chief from Ha apai began to consolidate control over the islands and won the support of the missionaries by declaring that he would dedicate Tonga to God. The chief soon made alliances with leaders on most of the other islands and was crowned King George TUPOU I in 1845, establishing the only still-extant Polynesian monarchy. TUPOU I declared Tonga a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and his successor, King George TUPOU II, agreed to enter a protectorate agreement with the UK in 1900 after rival Tongan chiefs tried to overthrow him. As a protectorate, Tonga never completely lost its indigenous governance, but it did become more isolated and the social hierarchy became more stratified between a group of nobles and a large class of commoners. Today, about one third of parliamentary seats are reserved for nobles. Queen Salote TUPOU III negotiated the end of the protectorate in 1965, which was achieved under King TUPOU IV, who in 1970 withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations. A prodemocracy movement gained steam in the early 2000s, led by future Prime Minister Akilisi POHIVA, and in 2006, riots broke out in Nuku alofa to protest the lack of progress on prodemocracy legislation. To appease the activists, in 2008, King George TUPOU V announced he was relinquishing most of his powers leading up to parliamentary elections in 2010; he died in 2012 and was succeeded by his brother Aho eitu TUPOU VI. Tropical Cyclone Gita, the strongest-ever recorded storm to impact Tonga, hit the islands in February 2018 causing extensive damage.

Military - note

the HMAF s primary missions are protecting the King and Tonga s sovereignty; the HMAF has contributed small numbers of personnel to multinational military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Solomon Islands; it is a small force comprised of a royal guard company, a marine battalion, a few naval patrol boats, and a couple of aircraft for maritime patrolling, search and rescue, and training purposes Tonga participated in World War I as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but the Tonga Defense Force (TDF) was not established until 1939 at the beginning of World War II; in 1943, New Zealand helped train about 2,000 Tongan troops who saw action in the Solomon Islands; the TDF was disbanded at the end of the war, but was reactivated in 1946 as the Tonga Defense Services (TDS); in 2013, the name of the TDS was changed to His Majesty s Armed Forces of Tonga (HMAF); Tongan troops deployed to Iraq from 2004-2008 and Afghanistan to support UK forces from 2010-2014 Tonga has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Tonga's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)

Military and security forces

His Majesty's Armed Forces Tonga (aka Tonga Defense Services): Tonga Royal Guard, Land Force (Royal Tongan Marines), Tonga Navy, Air Wing Ministry of Police and Fire Services: Tonga Police Force (2023)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 500-700 personnel (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Tonga military's inventory includes mostly light weapons and equipment from Australia, European countries (primarily the UK), and the US; nearly all of its military acquisitions in recent years have come from Australia (2023)

Military expenditures

1.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.) 2.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

voluntary military service for men and women 18-25; no conscription (2023)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.92% (male 15,989/female 15,491) 15-64 years: 62.79% (male 33,330/female 32,741) 65 years and over: 7.29% (2023 est.) (male 3,453/female 4,217)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

20 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 0.4% women married by age 18: 10.1% men married by age 18: 2.8% (2019 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.8% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

29.3% (2019)

Current health expenditure

5.3% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 68.6 youth dependency ratio: 58.5 elderly dependency ratio: 10.5 potential support ratio: 9.5 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.8% of population rural: 99.6% of population total: 99.6% of population unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population rural: 0.4% of population total: 0.4% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

6.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Tongan 96.5%, other (European, Fijian, Samoan, Indian, Chinese, other Pacific Islander, other Asian, other) 3.5% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.33 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.) male: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Tongan only 85%, Tongan and other language 13.9%, Tongan not used at home 1.1% (2021 est.) note: data represent language use at home of persons aged 5 and older

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.8 years (2023 est.) male: 76.1 years female: 79.5 years

Literacy

definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 99.4% male: 99.4% female: 99.5% (2021)

Major urban areas - population

23,000 NUKU'ALOFA (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

126 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 25.4 years (2023 est.) male: 25 years female: 25.9 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

24.9 years (2012 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

noun: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan

Net migration rate

-18.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

48.2% (2016)

Physicians density

0.95 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

105,221 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

over two-thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied

Population growth rate

-0.3% (2023 est.)

Religions

Protestant 63.9% (Free Wesleyan Church 34.2%, Free Church of Tonga 11.3%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assembly of God 2.5%, Tokaikolo/Maamafo'ou 1.5%, Constitutional Church of Tonga 1.2%, other Protestant 4%), Church of Jesus Christ 19.7%, Roman Catholic 13.7%, other 2.1%, none 0.6%, no answer 0.1% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 99.4% of population rural: 98.8% of population total: 98.9% of population unimproved: urban: 0.6% of population rural: 1.2% of population total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years male: 15 years female: 17 years (2020)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 31% (2020 est.) male: 46.7% (2020 est.) female: 15.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 23.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 11.1% (2021 est.) male: 7.5% female: 16.3%

Disputes - international

Tonga-Fiji : Fiji does not recognize Tonga s 1972 claim to the Minerva Reefs and their surrounding waters; the Minerva Reefs 200-mile exclusive economic zone includes valuable fishing grounds

Airports

6 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1 note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the typical length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

5 note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

A3

Merchant marine

total: 32 (2022) by type: container ship 4, general cargo 13, oil tanker 1, other 14

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Nuku'alofa, Neiafu, Pangai

Roadways

total: 680 km (2011) paved: 184 km (2011) unpaved: 496 km (2011)