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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 a 12-year period.
Location :
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Geographic Coordinates Center :
8 00 S, 178 00 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | 176.12 |
| North | -5.67 |
| East | 178.70 |
| South | -7.49 |
Map references :
Oceania
Area :
| total | 26 | square km |
| land | 26 | square km |
| water | 0 | square km |
Coastline :
24.00 km
Climate :
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain :
low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 5 | metres |
Natural resources :
| fish |
Land use :
| arable land | 0.00 | % |
| permanent crops | 66.67 | % |
| other | 33.33 | % |
Natural hazards :
| cyclones | tropical storms |
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 concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Law of the Sea | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Ship Pollution | Whaling |
Population :
12 373
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 1.62 | % |
| Birth rate | 23.11 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 2.91 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 6.95 | deaths/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 29.20 | % |
| 15-64 years | 65.60 | % |
| 65 years and over | 5.20 | % |
Median age :
| total | 25.40 | years |
| male | 24.40 | years |
| female | 26.60 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.05 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 0.96 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.59 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.96 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 18.43 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 69.29 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 66.99 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 71.70 | years |
Religions :
| Church of Tuvalu | 97.00 | % |
| Seventh-Day Adventist | 1.40 | % |
| Bahai | 1.00 | % |
| other | 0.60 | % |
Languages :
| Tuvaluan | |
| English | |
| Samoan | |
| Kiribati |
Country name :
| conventional short form | Tuvalu |
| local short form | Tuvalu |
| former | Ellice Islands |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | TV |
| ISO Numeric | 798 |
| ISO3 | TUV |
| FIPS | TV |
| ccTLD | tv |
| English | Tuvalu |
Capital :
| name | Funafuti |
| geographic coordinates | 8 30 S, 179 12 E |
| time difference | 12.00 |
International organization participation :
| ACP | ADB |
| AOSIS | C |
| FAO | IFRCS (observer) |
| ILO | IMO |
| IOC | ITU |
| OPCW | PIF |
| SPC | Sparteca |
| UN | UNCTAD |
| UNESCO | UPU |
| WHO |
Independence :
1978-10-01
National holiday :
Independence Day
1978-10-01
Executive branch :
| Prime Minister Apisai IELEMIA | Queen ELIZABETH II |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 14 940 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 14 940 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | 3.00 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 1 600 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 16.60 | % |
| industry | 27.20 | % |
| services | 56.20 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.80 | % |
| Current account balance | - 11 680 000 | $ |
Budget :
| revenues | 21 540 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 23 050 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| coconuts | fish |
Industries :
| copra | fishing |
| tourism |
Value :
12 910 000 $
Commodities :
| animals | food |
| machinery | manufactured products |
| mineral fuels |
Currency-code :
AUD
Currency-name :
Australian dollar
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 1 500 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 2 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 1 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | tv | |
| Internet Hosts | 103 041 | |
| Internet Users | 4 200 |
Transportation :
| Roadways - total | 8 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 8 | km |
Flag
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