Match 245 DB Rec# - 7,697 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Tuvalu
Text :
Tuvalu
Geography
Location:
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:
Oceania
Area:
total area:
26 sq km
land area:
26 sq km
comparative area:
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
24 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly
gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain:
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land:
0%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
100%
note:
Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and support
subsistence agriculture
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
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
natural hazards:
severe tropical storms are rare
Geography
international agreements:
party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of
the Sea
People
Population:
9,991 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
36% (female 1,787; male 1,852)
15-64 years:
59% (female 3,105; male 2,764)
65 years and over:
5% (female 258; male 225) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.58% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
24.82 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
9.01 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
27.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
63.15 years
male:
61.87 years
female:
64.34 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.11 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Tuvaluans(s)
adjective:
Tuvaluan
Ethnic divisions:
Polynesian 96%
Religions:
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i
1%, other 0.6%
Languages:
Tuvaluan, English
Literacy:
NA%
Labor force:
NA
by occupation:
NA
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Tuvalu
former:
Ellice Islands
Digraph:
TV
Type:
democracy; began debating republic status in 1992
Capital:
Funafuti
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
1 October 1978 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Constitution:
1 October 1978
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Tulaga MANUELLA (since NA June 1994)
head of government:
Prime Minister Kamuta LATASI (since 10 December 1993); Deputy Prime Minister
Otinielu TAUSI (since 10 December 1993)
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime
minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament (Palamene):
elections last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997); results -
percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total)
Judicial branch:
High Court
Political parties and leaders:
none
Member of:
ACP, AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), INTELSAT (nonsignatory
user), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
Tuvalu has no mission in the US
US diplomatic representation:
none
Flag:
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
Overview:
Tuvalu consists of a 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 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, NZ, and the UK and supported
also by Japan and South Korea.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.8 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
NA%
National product per capita:
$800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$4.3 million
expenditures:
$4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports:
$165,000 (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities:
copra
partners:
Fiji, Australia, NZ
Imports:
$4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989)
commodities:
food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
partners:
Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
2,600 kW
production:
3 million kWh
consumption per capita:
330 kWh (1990)
Industries:
fishing, tourism, copra
Agriculture:
coconuts and fish
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $101 million
Currency:
1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Economy
Exchange rates:
Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January
1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799
(1990)
Fiscal year:
NA
Transportation
Railroads:
0 km
Highways:
total:
8 km
unpaved:
gravel 8 km
Ports:
Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine:
total:
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,473 GRT/73,652 DWT
ships by type:
cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated
cargo 1
Airports:
total:
1
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
1
Communications
Telephone system:
108 telephones; 300 radiotelephones
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
radios:
4,000
Television:
broadcast stations:
0
televisions:
NA
Defense Forces
Branches:
no military forces; Police Force
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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