ARCHIVE // TV // 1998

Tuvalu

1998 Edition — sovereign

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Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]
coconuts; fish
Budget [time series]
revenues: $4.3 million expenditures: $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]
$NA
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: ODA, $1.725 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $1.7 million from NZ (FY95/96); note: substantial annual support from an international trust fund
Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]
Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a large-scale tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline, which will present additional problems for Tuvalu's already stretched economy. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. Low-lying Tuvalu is particularly vulnerable to any future global warming.
Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]
2,600 kW (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]
NA kWh
Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]
3 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates [time series]
Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1-1.5281 (January 1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993)
Exports [time series]
total value: $165,000 (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: copra partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year Communications
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$7.8 million (1995 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$800 (1995 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]
8.7% (1995)
Imports [time series]
total value: $4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods partners: Fiji, Australia, NZ
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
fishing, tourism, copra
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]
3.9% (average 1985-93)
Labor force [time series]
NA by occupation: NA note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those working abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
4,000 (1993 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands international: NA
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
130 (1983 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
0
Televisions [time series]
NA
Unemployment rate [time series]
NA%
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 26 sq km land: 26 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
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
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]
since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, all water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities; 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 very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table
International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates [time series]
8 00 S, 178 00 E
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.) note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and support subsistence agriculture
Location [time series]
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references [time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims [time series]
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones
Natural resources [time series]
fish
Terrain [time series]
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none
Constitution [time series]
1 October 1978
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu former: Ellice Islands
Data code [time series]
TV
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Manuella TULAGA (since NA June 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 23 December 1996) and Deputy Prime Minister Kokeiya MALUA (since 8 April 1998); cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 8 April 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Bikenibeu PAENIU reelected prime minister by a vote in Parliament of 10 to 2; Kokeiya MALUA elected deputy prime minister; percent of Parliament vote-NA
Flag (Flag description) [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
Government type [time series]
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began debating republic status in 1992
Independence [time series]
1 October 1978 (from UK)
International organization participation [time series]
AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Judicial branch [time series]
eight Island Courts; High Court; note-a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over sessions of the High Court
Legal system [time series]
NA
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (12 seats-two from each island with more than 1,000 inhabitants, one from all the other inhabited islands; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 26-27 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002) election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-independents 12
Capital (National capital) [time series]
Funafuti
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Military
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
no regular military forces; Police Force (consists of 56 full- and part-time personnel)
Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]
$NA
Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]
NA%
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 35% (male 1,875; female 1,804) 15-64 years: 60% (male 2,980; female 3,290) 65 years and over: 5% (male 226; female 269) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
22.6 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate [time series]
8.62 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Polynesian 96%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
26.23 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages [time series]
Tuvaluan, English
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 63.88 years male: 62.72 years female: 65.09 years (1998 est.)
Literacy [time series]
NA; note-education is free and compulsory from ages 6 through 13
Nationality [time series]
noun: Tuvaluan(s) adjective: Tuvaluan
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population [time series]
10,444 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
1.4% (1998 est.)
Religions [time series]
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.11 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]
none UGANDA
Transportation
Airports [time series]
1 (1997 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 8 km (1996 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,220 GRT/83,118 DWT ships by type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Funafuti, Nukufetau
Railways [time series]
0 km