Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance.

The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845.

Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970.

Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 116,921 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 34.6% (male 20,624/female 19,779) 15-64 years: 61.2% (male 35,551/female 36,052) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,087/female 2,828) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 21.3 years male: 20.7 years female: 21.8 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 1.847% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 23.67 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.043 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.986 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.738 male(s)/female total population: 0.993 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 11.99 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.12 years male: 67.6 years female: 72.76 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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Nationality: noun: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan

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Ethnic groups: Polynesian, Europeans

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Religions: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

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Languages: Tongan, English

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Literacy: definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1999 est.)

Tonga has a small, open, South Pacific island economy. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $178.5 million (2004 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $244 million (2005 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (2005 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,200 (2005 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23% industry: 27% services: 50% (FY03/04 est.)

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Labor force: 33,910 (2003)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 65% industry and services: 35% (1997 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 13% (FY03/04 est.)

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Population below poverty line: 24% (FY03/04)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.1% (2005 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $56.97 million expenditures: $83.88 million; including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY04/05)

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Agriculture - products: squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish

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Industries: tourism, fishing

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Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2003 est.)

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Electricity - production: 41 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 38.13 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 900 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$4.321 million (FY04/05)

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Exports: $34 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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Exports - commodities: squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops

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Exports - partners: US 42.5%, Japan 29.7%, NZ 8.8%, Fiji 4.2% (2006)

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Imports: $122 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

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Imports - partners: Fiji 30.1%, NZ 27.5%, US 8.2%, Australia 7.5%, France 5.7%, UK 4.6% (2006) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $40.83 million (yearend, FY04/05)

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Debt - external: $80.7 million (2004)

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Economic aid - recipient: $19.3 million (2004)

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Currency (code): pa'anga (TOP)

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Exchange rates: pa'anga per US dollar - 2.0277 (2006), 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002)

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Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June