Tuvalu

Broadcast media

no TV stations; many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2009)

Internet country code

.tv

Internet users

total: 5,042 | percent of population: 46.0% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Telephone system

general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications | domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands | international: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 2,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 7,600 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 69 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 217

Agriculture - products

coconuts; fish

Budget

revenues: $42.68 million | expenditures: $32.46 million (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

30.1% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 1

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.6% (31 December 2013 est.) | 10.6% (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Current account balance

$-12 million (2016 est.) | $2 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Debt - external

$NA

Economy - overview

Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. Only eight of the atolls are inhabited. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, with its highest point at 4.6 meters above sea level. The country is isolated, almost entirely dependent on imports, particularly of food and fuel, and vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels, which pose significant challenges to development. | The public sector dominates economic activity. Tuvalu has few natural resources, except for its fisheries. Earnings from fish exports and fishing licenses for Tuvalu’s territorial waters are a significant source of government revenue. In 2013, revenue from fishing licenses doubled and totaled more than 45% of GDP. | Official aid from foreign development partners has also increased. Tuvalu has substantial assets abroad. The Tuvalu Trust Fund, an international trust fund established in 1987 by development partners, has grown to $104 million (A$141 million) in 2014 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. While remittances are another substantial source of income, the value of remittances has declined since the 2008-09 global financial crisis, but has stabilized at nearly $4 million per year. The financial impact of climate change and the cost of climate related adaptation projects is one of many concerns for the nation.

Exchange rates

Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - | 1.3442 (2013) | 1.67 (2014 est.) | 1.352 (2013 est.) | 0.97 (2012 est.)

Exports

$600,000 (2010 est.) | $1 million (2004 est.) | country comparison to the world: 221

Exports - commodities

copra, fish

Exports - partners

Bosnia and Herzegovina 24.8%, Singapore 18.8%, Nigeria 17.3%, Fiji 14.5%, US 6% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$37 million (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$40 million (2016 est.) | $38 million (2015 est.) | $34 million (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 226

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 24.5% | industry: 5.6% | services: 70% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,600 (2016 est.) | $3,500 (2015 est.) | $3,200 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 185

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2016 est.) | 9.1% (2015 est.) | 1.3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$136.5 million (2013 est.) | $238.6 million (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 212

Imports - commodities

food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

Singapore 51.3%, NZ 9.4%, Australia 8.6%, US 6.8%, Japan 6.1%, Fiji 5.9% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

-26.1% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201

Industries

fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (2016 est.) | 3.2% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Labor force

3,615 (2004 est.) | country comparison to the world: 224

Labor force - by occupation

note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and through overseas remittances (mostly from workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$0 (2014) | country comparison to the world: 123

Population below poverty line

26.3% (2010 est.)

Public debt

53.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | 58.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Taxes and other revenues

125.5% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 1

Unemployment rate

NA%

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014) | country comparison to the world: 201

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014) | country comparison to the world: 200

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014) | country comparison to the world: 203

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Electricity - from fossil fuels

96% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2014) | country comparison to the world: 209

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2014) | country comparison to the world: 196

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2014) | country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - installed generating capacity

5,100 kW (2011) | country comparison to the world: 212

Electricity - production

11.8 million kWh (2011) | country comparison to the world: 215

Electricity access

population without electricity: 6,137 | electrification - total population: 45% | electrification - urban areas: 57% | electrification - rural areas: 32% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 140

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 197

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 198

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 204

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day | country comparison to the world: 206

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Area

total: 26 sq km | land: 26 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 239

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

mean elevation: 2 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Environment - current issues

water needs met by catchment systems; the use of sand as a building material has led to beachhead erosion; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from increasing ocean temperatures and acidification; rising sea levels threaten water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 178 00 E

Geography - note

one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 60% | arable land 0%; permanent crops 60%; permanent pasture 0% | forest: 33.3% | other: 6.7% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

fish, coconut (copra)

Population - distribution

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Terrain

low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Administrative divisions

7 island councils and 1 town council*; Funafuti*, Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu

Capital

name: Funafuti; note - the capital is an atoll of some 29 islets; administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet | geographic coordinates: 8 31 S, 179 13 E | time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes; for a child born abroad, at least one parent must be a citizen of Tuvalu | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: na

Constitution

previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986; amended 2007, 2010, 2013 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Tuvalu | local long form: none | local short form: Tuvalu | former: Ellice Islands | etymology: "tuvalu" means "group of eight" or "eight standing together" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Samuelu LALONIU (since 21 July 2017) | chancery: note - Tuvalu does not have an embassy in Washington, D.C.; UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017 | telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534 | FAX: [1] (212) 937-0692

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Iakoba TAEIA Italeli (since 16 April 2010) | head of government: Prime Minister Enele SOPOAGA (since 5 August 2013) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of House of Assembly following parliamentary elections | election results: Enele SOPOAGA elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote count on 4 August 2013 - 8 to 5; note - Willie TELAVI removed as prime minister by the governor general on 1 August 2013

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 on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean

Government type

parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

1 October 1978 (from the UK)

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, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and not less than 3 appeals judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) | judge selection and term of office: Appeal Court judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; judges' tenure based on terms of appointment; High Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; chief justice appointed for life; other judges appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Cabinet after consultation with chief justice; tenure of judges set by terms of appointment | subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; island courts; land courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral House of Assembly or Fale I Fono (15 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 31 March 2015 (next to be held in 2019) | election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 15; 12 members reelected

National anthem

name: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty) | lyrics/music: Afaese MANOA | note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

National symbol(s)

maneapa (native meeting house); national colors: light blue, yellow

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

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 a 12-year period. The agreement was subsequently renegotiated but details were not disclosed.

Military branches

no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.29% (male 1,659/female 1,578) | 15-24 years: 19.26% (male 1,106/female 1,023) | 25-54 years: 36.66% (male 2,036/female 2,016) | 55-64 years: 8.77% (male 396/female 573) | 65 years and over: 6.02% (male 263/female 402) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

23.7 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.6% (2007) | country comparison to the world: 126

Contraceptive prevalence rate

30.5% (2007)

Death rate

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Drinking water source

urban: 98.3% of population | rural: 97% of population | total: 97.7% of population | urban: 1.7% of population | rural: 3% of population | total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

16.5% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 3

Infant mortality rate

total: 29 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 31.5 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 26.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Languages

Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 66.9 years | male: 64.7 years | female: 69.2 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 173

Major urban areas - population

FUNAFUTI (capital) 6,000 (2014)

Median age

total: 25.7 years | male: 24.7 years | female: 26.9 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Mother's mean age at first birth

23.5 years | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2007 est.)

Nationality

noun: Tuvaluan(s) | adjective: Tuvaluan

Net migration rate

-6.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

51.6% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 5

Physicians density

1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

11,052 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 222

Population distribution

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Population growth rate

0.85% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Religions

Protestant 98.4% (Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%), Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Sanitation facility access

urban: 86.3% of population | rural: 80.2% of population | total: 83.3% of population | urban: 13.7% of population | rural: 19.8% of population | total: 16.7% of population (2012 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.1 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.69 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.95 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Urbanization

urban population: 61.5% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 1.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

1 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 235

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T2 (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 58 | by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 24, chemical tanker 15, container 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1 | foreign-owned: 33 (China 4, Indonesia 1, Maldives 1, Singapore 19, South Korea 1, Turkey 1, Vietnam 6) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 68

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Funafuti

Roadways

total: 8 km | paved: 8 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 223