Tuvalu

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

4,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands international: NA

Telephones - main lines in use

400 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1994)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1997)

Televisions

NA

Agriculture - products

coconuts; fish

Budget

revenues: $4.3 million expenditures: $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Currency

1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - recipient

$7.9 million (1995); note - substantial annual support from an international trust fund

Economy - overview

Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, with 1999 payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries at about $9 million, a total which is expected to rise annually. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and from the sale of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalites from these new technology sources could raise GDP three or more times over the next decade. Low-lying Tuvalu is particularly vulnerable to any rise in the sea level from future global warming.

Electricity - consumption

3 million kWh (1995)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1995)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production

3 million kWh (1995)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%

Exchange rates

Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.5207 (January 2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995)

Exports

$165,000 (f.o.b., 1989)

Exports - commodities

copra

Exports - partners

Fiji, Australia, NZ

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.8 million (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

8.7% (1995 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989)

Imports - commodities

food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

Fiji, Australia, NZ

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

fishing, tourism, copra

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (average 1985-93)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those working abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 26 sq km land: 26 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Coastline

24 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Environment - current issues

since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table

Environment - international agreements

party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 178 00 E

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.)

Location

Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low-level of islands make them very sensitive to sea-level rise

Natural resources

fish

Terrain

very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

Funafuti

Constitution

1 October 1978

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu former: Ellice Islands

Data code

TV

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Diplomatic representation in the US

Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Tomasi PUAPUA (since 26 June 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Ionatana IONATANA (since NA April 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Lagitupu (of Nanumea) TUILIMU (since NA April 1999) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister 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 27 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Ionatana IONATANA elected prime minister; percent of Parliament vote - NA; Lagitupu (of Nanumea) TUILIMU elected deputy prime minister; percent of Parliament vote - NA

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began debating republic status in 1992

Independence

1 October 1978 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

eight Island Courts; High Court; note - a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over sessions of the High Court

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (12 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 26-27 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Political parties and leaders

there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

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%

Age structure

0-14 years: 34% (male 1,872; female 1,802) 15-64 years: 61% (male 3,149; female 3,458) 65 years and over: 5% (male 239; female 318) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

21.78 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

7.66 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Polynesian 96%

Infant mortality rate

23.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Tuvaluan, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 66.32 years male: 64.21 years female: 68.53 years (2000 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Tuvaluan(s) adjective: Tuvaluan

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

10,838 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.41% (2000 est.)

Religions

Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.11 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports

1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

total: 8 km (1996 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Merchant marine

total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,500 GRT/63,978 DWT ships by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off 1 (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Funafuti, Nukufetau

Railways

0 km