@node Geography (Tuvalu)
@section Geography (Tuvalu)

@display

Location:
  Oceania, 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
Map references:
  Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  26 km2
 land area:
  26 km2
 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%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  severe tropical storms are rare



@end display

@node People (Tuvalu)
@section People (Tuvalu)

@display

Population:
  9,666 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.74% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  26.79 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  9.41 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  26.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  62.64 years
 male:
  61.27 years
 female:
  63.82 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.11 children born/woman (1993 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:  total population:
  NA%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  NA
 by occupation:
  NA



@end display

@node Government (Tuvalu)
@section Government (Tuvalu)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Tuvalu
 former:
  Ellice Islands
Digraph:
  TV
Type:
  democracy; began debating republic status in 1992; referendum expected in
  1993
Capital:
  Funafuti
Administrative divisions:
  none
Independence:
  1 October 1978 (from UK)
Constitution:
  1 October 1978
Legal system:
  NA
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Political parties and leaders:
  none
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 Parliament:
  last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by NA September 1993); results
  - percent of vote NA; seats - (12 total)
Executive branch:
  British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
  Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament (Palamene)
Judicial branch:
  High Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:   Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
  Toaripi LAUTI (since NA 1992)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16 October 1989); Deputy Prime
  Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October 1989)
Member of:
  ACP, C (special), ESCAP, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  (vacant)
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



@end display

@node Economy (Tuvalu)
@section Economy (Tuvalu)

@display

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, New Zealand, and the UK and
  supported also by Japan and South Korea.
National product:
  GNP - exchange rate conversion - $4.6 million (1989 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  NA%
National product per capita:
  $530 (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.9% (1984)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  revenues $4.3 million; expenditures $4.3 million, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
  $1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.)
 commodities:
  copra
 partners:
  Fiji, Australia, NZ
Imports:
  $2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.)
 commodities:
  food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
 partners:
  Fiji, Australia, NZ
External debt:   $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
  2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 330 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
  fishing, tourism, copra
Agriculture:
  coconuts
Economic aid:
  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 ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4837 (January
  1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752
  (1988)
Fiscal year:
  NA



@end display

@node Communications (Tuvalu)
@section Communications (Tuvalu)

@display

Highways:
  8 km gravel
Ports:
  Funafuti, Nukufetau
Merchant marine:
  6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 33,220 GRT/58,518 DWT; includes 1
  passenger-cargo, 1 oil tanker, 4 chemical tanker
Airports:
 total:
  1
 useable:
  1
 with permanent-surface runways:
  0
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 300 radiotelephones; 4,000 radios;
  108 telephones



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Tuvalu)
@section Defense Forces (Tuvalu)

@display

Branches:
  Police Force
Manpower availability:   NA
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GNP



@end display