Australia and Oceania
Page last updated: July 24, 2024
Voyagers from either Samoa or Tonga first populated Tuvalu in the first millennium A.D., and the islands provided a stepping-stone for various Polynesian communities that subsequently settled in Melanesia and Micronesia. Tuvalu eventually came under Samoan and Tongan spheres of influence, although proximity to Micronesia allowed some Micronesian communities to flourish in Tuvalu, in particular on Nui Atoll. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, a series of American, British, Dutch, and Russian ships visited the islands, which were named the Ellice Islands in 1819.
The UK declared a protectorate over islands in 1892 and merged them with the Micronesian Gilbert Islands. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate became a colony in 1916. During World War II, the US set up military bases on a few islands, and in 1943, after Japan captured many of the northern Gilbert Islands, the UK transferred administration of the colony southward to Funafuti. After the war, Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands was once again made the colony’s capital, and the center of power was firmly in the Gilbert Islands, including the colony’s only secondary school. Amid growing tensions with the Gilbertese, Tuvaluans voted to secede from the colony in 1974, were granted self-rule in 1975, and gained independence in 1978 as Tuvalu. In 1979, the US relinquished its claims to the Tuvaluan islands in a treaty of friendship.
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia
8 00 S, 178 00 E
Oceania
Total : 26 km²
Land: 26 km²
Water: 0 km²
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Area comparison map:
Total: 0 km
24 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 2 m
Fish, coconut (copra)
Agricultural land: 60% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 0% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 60% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 33.3% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.7% (2018 est.)
0 km² (2022)
Over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti
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
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
Total: 11,733
Male: 5,816
Female: 5,917 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 221; male 221; total 221
Noun: Tuvaluan(s)
Adjective: Tuvaluan
Tuvaluan 97%, Tuvaluan/I-Kiribati 1.6%, Tuvaluan/other 0.8%, other 0.6% (2017 est.)
Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Protestant 92.7% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.9%, Brethren 2.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assemblies of God 1.5%), Baha'i 1.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 3.9%, none or refused 0.4% (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 29.2% (male 1,754/female 1,672)
15-64 years: 63.2% (male 3,736/female 3,675)
65 years and over: 7.6% (2024 est.) (male 326/female 570)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 60.9
Youth dependency ratio: 50.9
Elderly dependency ratio: 10
Potential support ratio: 10 (2021)
Total: 27.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 26.8 years
Female: 28.8 years
0.78% (2024 est.)
22 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
-6.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti
Urban population: 66.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.08% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Total: 27.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 24 deaths/1,000 live births
Total population: 69 years (2024 est.)
Male: 66.5 years
Female: 71.6 years
2.78 children born/woman (2024 est.)
1.36 (2024 est.)
23.7% (2019/20)
Improved: urban: 100% of population
Rural: 100% of population
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
21.5% of GDP (2020)
1.19 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Improved: urban: 91.8% of population
Rural: 91% of population
Total: 91.5% of population
Unimproved: urban: 9.2% of population
Rural: 9% of population
Total: 8.5% of population (2017 est.)
51.6% (2016)
Total: 0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 35.6% (2020 est.)
Male: 49.8% (2020 est.)
Female: 21.3% (2020 est.)
3.1% (2019/20) NA
66.1% (2023 est.)
Women married by age 18: 1.8%
Men married by age 18: 1.7% (2020 est.)
NA
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
Water needs met by catchment systems; the use of sand as a building material has led to beachhead erosion; deforestation; 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
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Agricultural land: 60% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 0% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 60% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 33.3% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.7% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 66.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.08% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 6.81 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.01 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.01 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 3,989 tons (2011 est.)
Municipal solid waste recycled annually: 598 tons (2013 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15% (2013 est.)
0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
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
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
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)
Etymology: the atoll is named after a founding ancestor chief, Funa, from the island of Samoa
7 island councils and 1 town council*; Funafuti*, Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu
1 October 1978 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
History: previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986
Amendments: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the final reading; amended 2007, 2010, 2013, 2023
Mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: 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
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Tofiga Vaevalu FALANI (since 29 August 2021)
Head of government: Prime Minister Feleti Penitala TEO (since 27 February 2024)
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: 2024: TEO was the only candidate nominated by the House of Assembly
2019: Kausea NATANO elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote - 10 to 6
Description: unicameral House of Assembly or Fale I Fono (16 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 26 January 2024 (next to be held in January 2028)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16; composition - 16 men, 0 women, percentage women 0%
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: Court of Appeal judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; High Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; chief justice serves for life; other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet after consultation with chief justice; judge tenure set by terms of appointment
Subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; island courts; land courts
There are no political parties, but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
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
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
Maneapa (native meeting house); national colors: light blue, yellow
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
Upper middle-income Pacific island economy; extremely environmentally fragile; currency pegged to Australian dollar; large international aid recipient; subsistence agrarian sector; Te Kakeega sustainable development; domain name licensing incomes
$59.202 million (2023 est.)
$57.006 million (2022 est.)
$56.622 million (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars
3.85% (2023 est.)
0.68% (2022 est.)
1.8% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$5,200 (2023 est.)
$5,000 (2022 est.)
$5,100 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars
$62.28 million (2023 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
4.1% (2017 est.)
3.5% (2016 est.)
Agriculture: 24.5% (2012 est.)
Industry: 5.6% (2012 est.)
Services: 70% (2012 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 71; industry 220; agriculture 29
Government consumption: 87% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.3% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 43.7% (2016 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -66.1% (2016 est.)
Coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruits, bananas, root vegetables, pork, chicken, eggs, pork fat, pork offal (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Fishing
4.3% (2014 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
3,615
Total: 20.6% (2016)
Male: 9.8%
Female: 45.9%
26.3% (2010 est.)
39.1 (2010 est.)
4.82% of GDP (2023 est.)
4.18% of GDP (2022 est.)
4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $87 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $88 million (2019 est.)
Note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia
25.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)
37% of GDP (2017 est.)
47.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
106.7% (of GDP) (2013 est.)
Note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia
$2.713 million (2022 est.)
$14.533 million (2021 est.)
$8.46 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$2.232 million (2022 est.)
$2.745 million (2021 est.)
$3.089 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Thailand 69%, Croatia 21%, Philippines 4%, South Korea 2%, Japan 1% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Fish, ships, computers, integrated circuits, nitrile compounds (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$57.388 million (2022 est.)
$63.962 million (2021 est.)
$56.947 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
China 34%, Japan 27%, Fiji 20%, NZ 5%, Australia 5% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Ships, refined petroleum, iron structures, engine parts, plastic products (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
NA
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
1.505 (2023 est.)
1.442 (2022 est.)
1.331 (2021 est.)
1.453 (2020 est.)
1.439 (2019 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electrification - urban areas: 100%
Electrification - rural areas: 99.1%
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.)
(2019)
Total subscriptions: 2,000 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2021 est.)
Total subscriptions: 9,000 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)
General assessment: provides fixed-line telephone communications to subscribers on each of the islands of Tuvalu; each island relies on the use of a satellite dish for inter-island telephone communication, internet access, and mobile phone services (2023)
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 80 per 100 (2021)
International: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite
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 (2019)
.tv
Total: 7,920 (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 49% (2021 est.)
Total: 450 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2017 est.)
T2
1 (2024)
Total: 16 km (2022)
Total: 270 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 3, general cargo 29, oil tanker 19, other 198
Total ports: 1 (2024)
Large: 0
Medium: 0
Small: 0
Very small: 1
Ports with oil terminals: 1
Key ports: Funafuti Atoll
No regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (Ministry of Justice, Communications, and Foreign Affairs) (2023)
Tuvalu has a security pact with Australia; Australia also provides support to the Tuvalu Police Force, including donations of patrol boats
Tuvalu 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 Tuvalu'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 (2024)