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NAVIGATION
Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands former: Ellice Islands |
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began debating republic status in 1992 |
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Capital:
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Funafuti |
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Administrative divisions:
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none |
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Independence:
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1 October 1978 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 1 October (1978) |
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Constitution:
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1 October 1978 |
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Legal system:
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NA |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Tomasi PUAPUA, M.D. (since 26 June 1998)
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 2 August 2002 (next to be held NA) election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA elected prime minister; Parliamentary vote - Saufatu SOPOANGA 8, Amasone KILEI 7 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Saufatu SOPOANGA (since 2 August 2002) |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15 |
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Judicial branch:
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High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu |
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Flag description:
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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 |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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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. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. 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. 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. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. 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%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these new technology sources could increase substantially over the next decade. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and investment income from overseas assets. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $12.2 million (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3% (2000 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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7,000 (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $22.5 million
expenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2 million (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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fishing, tourism, copra |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
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Agriculture - products:
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coconuts; fish |
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Exports:
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$276,000 f.o.b. (1997) |
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Exports - commodities:
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copra, fish |
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Exports - partners:
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Sweden, Fiji, Iceland, Germany, Greece (2000) |
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Imports:
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$7.2 million c.i.f. (1998) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods |
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Imports - partners:
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Fiji, Australia, Portugal, NZ (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$NA |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$13 million ; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US (1999 est.) |
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Currency:
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Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar |
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Currency code:
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AUD |
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Exchange rates:
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Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |