Tuvalu
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Tuvalu mo te Atua"  (Tuvaluan) "Tuvalu for the Almighty"
Anthem: Tuvalu mo te Atua  (Tuvaluan) Tuvalu for the Almighty Royal anthem: God Save the Queen
Capital		Funafuti 8°31′S 179°13′E / -8.517, 179.217
Official languages		Tuvaluan, English
Demonym		Tuvaluan
Government		Parliamentary Democracy with a Constitutional monarchy
-	Queen	Elizabeth II
-	Governor General	Filoimea Telito
-	Prime Minister	Apisai Ielemia
Independence
-	from the UK	1 October 1978
Area
-	Total	26 km² (226th) 10 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	July 2007 estimate	11,992 (222nd)
-	Density	441/km² (22nd) 1,142/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2002 estimate
-	Total	$14. The current Flag of Tuvalu was instated when the country became independent in 1978, after the separation from the Gilberts in 1976 The coat of arms of Tuvalu shows a shield with a golden border which is decorated in a pattern with eight Mussels and eight banana leaves A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Tuvaluan is a Nuclear Polynesian language of the Ellicean group spoken in Tuvalu. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "Tuvalu for the Almighty" (Tuvalu mo te Atua is the National anthem of Tuvalu. A royal anthem is a patriotic song much like a National anthem but specifically praising or praying for a Monarch or royal dynasty "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National Funafuti is the Capital of the small island nation of Tuvalu. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Tuvaluan is a Nuclear Polynesian language of the Ellicean group spoken in Tuvalu. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place 96% of the Tuvaluans are ethnic Polynesians closely related to the people of Samoa and Tonga. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Governor-General of Tuvalu is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Tuvalu the nation's Head of State, and performs the duties Sir Filoimea Telito, GCMG, MBE (born on Vaitupu) is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. The Prime Minister of Tuvalu is the Head of government of Tuvalu. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 94 million (228th)
-	Per capita	$1,600 (2002 estimate) (unranked)
HDI (2003)		n/a (unranked) (n/a)
Currency		Tuvaluan dollar Australian dollar (AUD)
Time zone		(UTC+12)
Internet TLD		.tv
Calling code		+688

Tuvalu (IPA: [t:u:'valu]), formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The dollar is the currency of Tuvalu. From 1966 to 1976 Tuvalu used the Australian dollar. The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Samoa and Fiji. Kiribati or ( kirr-i-bas or KEE-ree-buhss ˈkiɾibas in Gilbertese) officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an Island nation located in Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa, is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands Archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य Comprising four reef islands and five true atolls with a gross land area of just 26 square kilometers (10 sq mi) it is the third-least populated independent country in the world, with only Vatican City and Nauru having fewer inhabitants. An atoll (pronounced /ˈætʌl/ is an island of Coral that encircles a Lagoon partially or completely Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. It is also the second-smallest member by population of the United Nations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security In terms of physical land size, Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger only than the Vatican City—0. Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory 44 km²; Monaco—1. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque 95 km² and Nauru—21 km². Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific.

The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesian people. The islands came under Britain's sphere of influence in the late 19th century. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Ellice Islands were administered by Britain as part of a protectorate from 1892 to 1916 and as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916 to 1974. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British Protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976 when the islands were divided In 1974 the Ellice Islanders voted for separate British dependency status as Tuvalu, separating from the Gilbert Islands which became Kiribati upon independence. Kiribati or ( kirr-i-bas or KEE-ree-buhss ˈkiɾibas in Gilbertese) officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an Island nation located in Tuvalu became fully independent within The Commonwealth in 1978.

History

Main article: History of Tuvalu

Tuvaluan man in traditional costume drawn by Alfred Agate in 1841 during the United States Navy Exploring Expedition. Tuvalu has been inhabited for about 3000 years The Caves of Nanumanga suggest traces of human habitation some thousands of years old Alfred Thomas Agate ( February 14, 1812, in Sparta New York – January 5, 1846, Washington D The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean ("the Southern Seas" conducted by the United States Navy from

Tuvaluans are a Polynesian people who settled the islands around 3000 years ago^[1] coming from Tonga and Samoa. During pre-European-contact times there was frequent canoe voyaging between the nearer islands. Eight of the 9 islands of Tuvalu were inhabited; thus the name, Tuvalu, means "eight standing together" in Tuvaluan. Tuvaluan is a Nuclear Polynesian language of the Ellicean group spoken in Tuvalu. Possible evidence of fire in the Caves of Nanumanga may indicate human occupation thousands of years before that. In 1986, off the northern shore of Nanumanga island in western Polynesia's Tuvalu group two Scuba divers found an underwater cave more than 40 metres down

Tuvalu was first sighted by Europeans in 1568 with the arrival of Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira from Spain who also encountered the island of Niue but was unable to land. Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira or Neyra (1542 - October 1595 was a Spanish Navigator. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Niue (niːˈʔuːeɪ/ /ˈnjuːeɪ in English is an Island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean.

No other Europeans turned up again until the late 1700s when other European explorers reached the area. By the early 1800s whalers were roving the Pacific though visiting Tuvalu only infrequently, because of the difficulties of landing ships on the atolls, and no settlements were established by them.

Peruvian slave raiders ("blackbirders") combed the Pacific between 1862 and 1864 and Tuvalu was one of the hardest-hit Pacific island groups with over 400 people taken from Funafuti and Nukulaelae, none of whom returned. Blackbirding refers to the recruitment of people through trickery and Kidnappings to work on plantations particularly the Sugar cane Plantations of Funafuti is the Capital of the small island nation of Tuvalu. Nukulaelae is one of the six atolls of Tuvalu, and has a population (2002 census of 393

In 1865 the London Missionary Society, Protestant congregationalists, began their process of evangelisation of Tuvalu and the people's conversion to Christianity was complete by the 1920s. Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational Missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada Also in the late 1800s, European traders began to live on the islands hoping to profit from local resources.

A man from the Nukufetau atoll 1831

In 1892 the islands became part of the British protectorate known as the Ellice Islands. This article is about an atoll in Tuvalu For the islet with a similar name in Wallis and Futuna see Nukufetao. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect The protectorate was incorporated into the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1916. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British Protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976 when the islands were divided In 1943, during World War II, Tuvalu was selected as an operations base for Allied forces battling the Japanese in the Pacific. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Thousands of marines were stationed there until December 1945.

In 1974 ethnic differences within the colony caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands (to become Kiribati). Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over Micronesia, from the Greek mikros (μικρός (meaning small) and nesos (νῆσος (meaning island) is a Subregion Kiribati or ( kirr-i-bas or KEE-ree-buhss ˈkiɾibas in Gilbertese) officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an Island nation located in The following year the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978.

Tuvalu Independence Day is celebrated on 1 October. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. In 1979 Tuvalu signed a treaty of friendship with the United States that recognized Tuvalu's rightful possession of four small islands formerly claimed by the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

As low-lying islands, lacking a surrounding shallow shelf, the island communities of Tuvalu are especially susceptible to changes in sea level and storm patterns that hit the island undissipated. It is estimated that a sea level rise of 20–40 centimetres (8–16 inches) in the next 100 years could make Tuvalu uninhabitable. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. ^[2][3] The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) suggests that while Tuvalu is vulnerable to climate change there are additional environmental problems such as population growth and poor coastal management that are affecting sustainable development on the island. The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission ( SOPAC) is an inter-governmental regional organisation dedicated to providing services to promote SOPAC ranks the country as extremely vulnerable using the Environmental Vulnerability Index. The Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI is a Measurement devised by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC the United Nations Environment ^[4] While some commentators have called for the relocation of the population of Tuvalu to Australia, New Zealand, or Kioa (Fiji), the former Prime Minister Maatia Toafa said his government did not regard rising sea levels as such a threat that the entire population would need to be evacuated. The Rt Hon Maatia Toafa (1954 is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. ^[5][6] In spite of persistent Internet rumours that New Zealand has agreed to accept an annual quota of 75 evacuees, the annual residence quota of 75 Tuvaluans under the Pacific Access Category (and 50 places for people from Kiribati) replaced the previous Work Schemes from the two countries and are not related to environmental concerns. ^[7]

Politics

Main article: Politics of Tuvalu

Tuvalu is a constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth Realm, with Queen Elizabeth II recognised as the official Queen of Tuvalu. Politics of Tuvalu takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Tuvalu is A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II She is represented in Tuvalu by a Governor General, who is appointed upon the advice of the Prime Minister. The Governor-General of Tuvalu is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Tuvalu the nation's Head of State, and performs the duties The local unicameral parliament, or Fale I Fono, has 15 members and is elected every four years. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber Its members elect a Prime Minister who is the head of government. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. Some elders also exercise informal authority on a local level. There are no formal political parties and election campaigns are largely on the basis of personal/family ties and reputation.

The highest court in Tuvalu is the High Court; there are eight Island Courts with limited jurisdiction. Rulings from the High Court can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji.

Tuvalu has no regular military forces, and spends no money on the military. Its police force includes a Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations. The police have a Pacific-class patrol boat (Te Mataili) provided by Australia under the Pacific Patrol Boat Program for use in maritime surveillance and fishery patrol. The Pacific Patrol Boat Program (PPB was created by Australia to provide small neighbouring South Pacific nations with a maritime surveillance capability For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Pacific Patrol Boat Program (PPB was created by Australia to provide small neighbouring South Pacific nations with a maritime surveillance capability For the fishing industry and the practice of fishing see Fishing.

The government of Tuvalu is represented in the United Kingdom by an honorary consul, based at Tuvalu House, London. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Tuvalu House is the honorary consulate of the Government of Tuvalu in London, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Districts

Map of Tuvalu

Main article: Islands of Tuvalu

Tuvalu's small population is distributed across 9 islands, 5 of which are atolls. Tuvalu consists of nine separate islands, six of which are Atolls The three remaining islands are actually atolls too but they have a completely closed An atoll (pronounced /ˈætʌl/ is an island of Coral that encircles a Lagoon partially or completely The smallest island, Niulakita, was uninhabited until it was resettled by people from Niutao in 1949.

Local government districts consisting of more than one islet:

• Funafuti
• Nanumea
• Nui
• Nukufetau
• Nukulaelae
• Vaitupu

Local government districts consisting of only one island:

• Nanumanga
• Niulakita
• Niutao

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Tuvalu

Tuvalu maintains close relations with Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. Funafuti is the Capital of the small island nation of Tuvalu. Geography Nanumea is the northwesternmost island in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, a group of nine coral atolls and islands spread over about four hundred This article is about an atoll in Tuvalu For the islet with a similar name in Wallis and Futuna see Nukufetao. Nukulaelae is one of the six atolls of Tuvalu, and has a population (2002 census of 393 Vaitupu is an island atoll or district of the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Nanumaga or Nanumanga is an island an atoll or a district of the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu. Niulakita is the southernmost island atoll or district of Tuvalu, and the name of the only village on this island Niutao is an island in the northern part of Tuvalu. It is one of the nine districts (atolls of Tuvalu and one of the three who consist of only one island not counting Tuvalu made rapid strides in the year 2000 in its attempts to play a significant role in the international affairs Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located It has diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan); Taiwan maintains the only resident embassy in Tuvalu and has a large assistance program in the islands. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia.

Tuvalu became a member of United Nations in 2000 and maintains a mission at the UN in New York. A major international priority for Tuvalu in the UN, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg and in other international fora is promoting concern about global warming and possible sea level rise. Tuvalu advocates ratification and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases in an effort It also is a member of the Asian Development Bank. Asian Development Bank (ADB is a regional development bank established in 1966 to promote economic and social development in Asian and Pacific countries through loans and technical

Tuvalu is a party to a treaty of friendship with the United States, signed soon after independence and ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1983, under which the United States renounced prior territorial claims to four Tuvaluan islands under the Guano Act. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The Guano Islands Act ( §§ 1411-1419 is federal legislation passed by the U ^[8]

Geography

A beach at Funafuti atoll on a sunny day.

Main article: Geography of Tuvalu

Tuvalu consists of four reef islands and five true atolls. The Western Pacific nation of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands is situated 4000 kilometers (2486 miles northeast of Australia. An atoll (pronounced /ˈætʌl/ is an island of Coral that encircles a Lagoon partially or completely Its small, scattered group of atolls has poor soil and a total land area of only about 26 square kilometres (less than 10 sq.  mi. ) making it the fourth smallest country in the world. The land is very low lying with narrow coral atolls. Funafuti is the largest atoll of the nine low reef islands and atolls that form the Tuvalu volcanic island chain. It comprises numerous islets around a central lagoon that is approximately 25. 1 kilometres (15. 6 mi) (N-S) by 18. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States 4 kilometres (11. 4 mi) (W-E), centred on 179°7’E and 8°30’S. An annular reef rim surrounds the lagoon, with several natural reef channels.

The highest elevation is five meters (16 ft) above sea level, which gives Tuvalu the second-lowest maximum elevation of any country (after the Maldives). The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Because of this low elevation, the islands that make up this nation may be threatened by any future sea level rise. Sea-level rise is an increase in Sea level. Multiple complex factors may influence this change Under such circumstances, the population may evacuate to New Zealand, Niue or the Fijian island of Kioa. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Niue (niːˈʔuːeɪ/ /ˈnjuːeɪ in English is an Island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य Kioa is an Island in Fiji, an outlier to Vanua Levu, one of Fiji's two main islands Additionally, Tuvalu is affected by what is known as a King Tide, which can raise the sea level higher than a normal high tide. Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood ^[9] In the future, this may threaten to submerge the nation entirely.

Tuvalu has very poor land and the soil is hardly usable for agriculture. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture There is almost no reliable supply of drinking water. Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water is termed potable water whether it is used for drinking or not

Tuvalu has westerly gales and heavy rain from November to March and tropical temperatures moderated by easterly winds from March to November.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Tuvalu

Tuvalu has almost no natural resources, and its main form of income consists of foreign aid. The economy suffer from Tuvalu 's remoteness and lack of economies of scale Virtually the only jobs in the islands that pay a steady wage or salary are with the government. Subsistence farming and fishing remain the primary economic activities, particularly off the capital island of Funafuti. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins, fishing licenses and worker remittances.

About 800 Tuvaluans previously worked in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry or aboard foreign ships as sailors. Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. When phosphate mining ceased in Nauru, 378 Tuvaluans were stranded in the country until they were repatriated in 2006 by a joint program in which Australia, New Zealand, and the EU paid most of the cost of their return passage, and Taiwan paid the back wages they were owed. ^[10] Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom and supported also by Japan and South Korea. In Common law legal systems a trust is an arrangement whereby Property (including real tangible and intangible is managed by one person (or persons or organizations For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː This fund grew from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, with 1999 payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries at about $9 million, a total which is expected to rise annually. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. 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%. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business

In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and from the sale of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Premium-rate telephone numbers are Telephone numbers for Telephone calls during which certain services are provided and for which prices higher than normal are In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. In Computer networking, a domain name is a name given to a collection of network devices that belong to a domain which is an administrative space managed according However, the Canadian entrepreneur who negotiated the deal, Jason Chapnik, was unable to raise the $50 million in the contracted time period, and the contract eventually fell into other hands.

Due to the country's remoteness, tourism does not provide much income; a hundred tourists are estimated to visit Tuvalu annually. ^[11] Almost all visitors are government officials, aid workers, non-governmental organization officials or consultants.

Tuvalu allegedly participated in Japan's vote-buying scheme at the International Whaling Commission in 2006. The International Whaling Commission ( IWC) is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW, which Greenpeace maintains that vote-buying took place^[12] and Tuvalu was one of the countries to receive economic assistance from Japan in 2006^[13].

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Tuvalu

A woman from Tuvalu dated 1894

The island population has more than doubled since 1980 and was estimated to reach 11,810 in July 2006. 96% of the Tuvaluans are ethnic Polynesians closely related to the people of Samoa and Tonga. ^[14] The population of Tuvalu is primarily of Polynesian ethnicity; about 4% of the population is Micronesian. Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over Micronesia, from the Greek mikros (μικρός (meaning small) and nesos (νῆσος (meaning island) is a Subregion About 97% of the Tuvaluans are members of the Church of Tuvalu, a Protestant Christian church. The Christian Church of Tuvalu, in Tuvaluan Te Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu is the National church of Tuvalu. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The religion has been mixed with some elements of the indigenous religions. Other religions practised on the island include Seventh-Day Adventist (1. 4%) and Bahá'í (1%). The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind ^[14]

The Tuvaluan language is spoken by virtually everyone, while a language very similar to Gilbertese is spoken on Nui. Tuvaluan is a Nuclear Polynesian language of the Ellicean group spoken in Tuvalu. Gilbertese or Kiribati (or sometimes Kiribatese, a mixture of both is a Language from the Austronesian family, part of the English is also an official language, but is not spoken in daily use. Parliament and official functions are conducted in Tuvaluan.

Culture

The traditional community system still survives to a large extent on Tuvalu. Each family has its own task, or salanga, to perform for the community, such as fishing, house building or defence. The skills of a family are passed on from father to son.

A traditional sport played in Tuvalu is kilikiti, which is similar to cricket. Kilikiti ( syn kirikiti, Samoan cricket, pronounced ki-ree-kiss) is one of several forms of Cricket. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries ^[15]

Traditional music prior to European contact included poems performed in a sort of monotonal recitation, though this tradition has since become extinct, as well as work songs which the women performed to encourage the men while they worked. A work song is typically a Rhythmic A cappella Song sung by people working on a physical and often repetitive task

The most famous form of Tuvaluan dance music, fatele, is influenced by European melody and harmony and is competitive, with each island divided into two sides. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music.

The two primary traditional dances of Tuvalu are the fakanu and fakaseasea. Of these, the fakanu has since died out, though the fakaseasea lives on, performed only by elders.

See also: Music of Tuvalu

Transportation

• Main article: Transportation in Tuvalu

Funafuti International Airport serves the country. Tuvalu is an island nation consisting of eight inhabited islands in the Pacific Ocean. Transport services in Tuvalu are limited A ferry runs between the main atolls Funafuti is an Airport located in Funafuti, capital of the Island nation of Tuvalu.

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Tuvalu
• ISO 3166-2:TV

References

External links

• Official Website of the Government of Tuvalu
• TuvaluIslands.com
• Timeless Tuvalu - The Official Travel Website of Tuvalu
• Open Directory Project - Tuvalu directory category
• PBS Rough Cut: Tuvalu: That Sinking Feeling
• Effects of Climate Change on Tuvalu
• Environment: Tiny Tuvalu Fights for Its Literal Survival
• The Sinking of Tuvalu