Airports [time series]

1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

no major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

8 km gravel

Merchant marine [time series]

1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,043 GRT/450 DWT

Ports [time series]

Funafuti, Nukufetau

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 300 radiotelephones; 4,000 radio receivers; 108 telephones

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

NA

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

NA

Military manpower [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

coconuts, copra

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $84 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $2.59 million; expenditures $3.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1983 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Tuvaluan dollar and Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Electricity [time series]

2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 350 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.); commodities--copra; partners--Fiji, Australia, NZ

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

NA

GNP [time series]

$4.6 million, per capita $530; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.); commodities--food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods; partners--Fiji, Australia, NZ

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA

Industries [time series]

fishing, tourism, copra

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.9% (1984)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor-quality soil. The country has a small economy, no known mineral resources, and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

24 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

severe tropical storms are rare

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other

Natural resources [time series]

fish

Note [time series]

located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean

Terrain [time series]

very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

26 km2; land area: 26 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

none

Capital [time series]

Funafuti

Constitution [time series]

1 October 1978

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador (vacant); US--none

Executive branch [time series]

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Tupua LEUPENA (since 1 March 1986); Head of Government--Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16 October 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October 1989)

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Parliament

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, ESCAP (associate member), GATT (de facto), SPF, SPC, UPU

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

none

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 Parliament--last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(12 total)

Government type (Type) [time series]

democracy

Birth rate [time series]

30 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

96% Polynesian

Infant mortality rate [time series]

33 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

NA

Languages (Language) [time series]

Tuvaluan, English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

60 years male, 63 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

less than 50%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Tuvaluans(s); adjective--Tuvaluan

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

none

Population [time series]

9,136 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Christian, predominantly Protestant

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.1 children born/woman (1990)