Tuvalu: The smallest country
TUVALU is the smallest country in the commonwealth with only 11,992 people. The population of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice or Lagoon Islands, is thought to have dropped from 20,000 in 1850 to 3,000 in 1875, due to slave-traders and imported European diseases.
TUVALU is the smallest country in the commonwealth with only 11,992 people. The population of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice or Lagoon Islands, is thought to have dropped from 20,000 in 1850 to 3,000 in 1875, due to slave-traders and imported European diseases.
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate was established by Britain in 1892 (the Gilbert Islands are now called Kiribati) and the protectorate became a colony in 1916.
A referendum held in 1974 established that most Ellice Islanders wanted separate status from the Gilbert Islands.
The country was renamed Tuvalu, an old name meaning ‘eight standing together’ (Tuvalu has nine islands or island groups, but one has very little land above sea level).
The Ellice Islands became a separate British dependency in October 1975, and gained independence as Tuvalu on October1, 1978.
In February 2000, the UN accepted Tuvalu as the organisation’s 189th member.
In September 2000, it became a full member of the Commonwealth, having been a special member since it joined in 1978.
Also in 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name “.tv†for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.
Geography
Tuvalu, formerly the Ellice Islands, is a group of atolls lying south of the equator in the western Pacific Ocean, south of Kiribati and north of Fiji Islands.
Funafuti, the main island and capital, lies 1,046km north of Suva, Fiji Islands. The other islands are Nanumanga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Niulakita and Vaitupu.
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 symbolising the nine islands.
The people
There are about 1,000 Tuvaluans working temporarily abroad. The population density on inhabited islands is very high, especially on Funafuti. Of Tuvalu’s 11,992 people, 56% live in urban areas.
In February 2000, a request was made to New Zealand for resettlement of about one-third of Tuvalu’s population which was threatened by rising sea level.
Tuvalu depends on foreign aid, the income from the sale of tuna fishing licenses and the interest from a trust fund set up in 1987. The sale of postage stamps also brings in revenues. Apart from the official languages of Tuvaluan and English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) are also spoken.
Did you know?
-Five of the islands are coral atolls, the other four consist of land rising from the sea bed.
-All are low-lying, with no point on Tuvalu being higher than 4.5 metres above sea level.
-Local politicians have campaigned against global warming, arguing that climate change could see the islands swamped by rising sea levels.
-The tallest building in Tuvalu is the three-storey Government Headquarters.
-Coconut palms cover most of the islands, and copra - dried coconut kernel - is practically the only export commodity.
-Life on the islands is simple and often harsh. There are no streams or rivers, so the collection of rain is essential.
Compiled by Elizabeth. Agiro
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate was established by Britain in 1892 (the Gilbert Islands are now called Kiribati) and the protectorate became a colony in 1916.
A referendum held in 1974 established that most Ellice Islanders wanted separate status from the Gilbert Islands.
The country was renamed Tuvalu, an old name meaning ‘eight standing together’ (Tuvalu has nine islands or island groups, but one has very little land above sea level).
The Ellice Islands became a separate British dependency in October 1975, and gained independence as Tuvalu on October1, 1978.
In February 2000, the UN accepted Tuvalu as the organisation’s 189th member.
In September 2000, it became a full member of the Commonwealth, having been a special member since it joined in 1978.
Also in 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name “.tv†for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.
Geography
Tuvalu, formerly the Ellice Islands, is a group of atolls lying south of the equator in the western Pacific Ocean, south of Kiribati and north of Fiji Islands.
Funafuti, the main island and capital, lies 1,046km north of Suva, Fiji Islands. The other islands are Nanumanga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Niulakita and Vaitupu.
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 symbolising the nine islands.
The people
There are about 1,000 Tuvaluans working temporarily abroad. The population density on inhabited islands is very high, especially on Funafuti. Of Tuvalu’s 11,992 people, 56% live in urban areas.
In February 2000, a request was made to New Zealand for resettlement of about one-third of Tuvalu’s population which was threatened by rising sea level.
Tuvalu depends on foreign aid, the income from the sale of tuna fishing licenses and the interest from a trust fund set up in 1987. The sale of postage stamps also brings in revenues. Apart from the official languages of Tuvaluan and English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) are also spoken.
Did you know?
-Five of the islands are coral atolls, the other four consist of land rising from the sea bed.
-All are low-lying, with no point on Tuvalu being higher than 4.5 metres above sea level.
-Local politicians have campaigned against global warming, arguing that climate change could see the islands swamped by rising sea levels.
-The tallest building in Tuvalu is the three-storey Government Headquarters.
-Coconut palms cover most of the islands, and copra - dried coconut kernel - is practically the only export commodity.
-Life on the islands is simple and often harsh. There are no streams or rivers, so the collection of rain is essential.
Compiled by Elizabeth. Agiro