tŏngˈgə, officially Kingdom of Tonga, island kingdom (1995 est. pop. 106,000), 270 sq mi (699 sq km), South Pacific, c.2000 mi (3,220 km) NE of Sydney, Australia. Tonga is the only surviving independent kingdom in the South Pacific. Nukualofa is the capital.

Land, People, and Economy

The more than 150 islands constitute three main groups: Tongatapu (seat of the capital) in the south, Vavau in the north, and Haapai in the center. Several of the islands are volcanic, with active craters, but most are coral atolls. The climate is tropical. The native Polynesians speak Tongan, a Polynesian language, and the majority are Christian. They grow subsistence crops and export copra and bananas. Because of compulsory primary education, the literacy rate is relatively high. Every male Tongan over the age of 16 is entitled to an allotment of land; but the shortage of land precludes a holding for many.

History

Archaeological evidence indicates that the islands of Tonga were settled as early as 900 b.c. Dutch navigators discovered the northern islands in 1616 and the rest of the group in 1643. Capt. James Cook visited the islands in 1773 and 1777 and named them the Friendly Islands. English missionaries arrived in 1797 and helped to strengthen British political influence. Internal wars in the early 19th cent. ended with the accession of King George Tupou I (1845–93), who unified the nation and gave it a constitution (1862), a legal code, and an administrative system. His successor, King George Tupou II (1893–1918) concluded a treaty making Tonga a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga remained self-governing, with the British responsible for foreign and defense affairs.

A new treaty in 1968 reduced British controls, and complete independence was attained on June 4, 1970. Tonga is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The king is the head of state and also dominates the partially elected national legislature, which consists of the king's cabinet headed by a prime minister, nine noble members, and nine commoners. The present ruler is King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV (1965–), son of Queen Salote Tupou III (1918–65). Since the late 1980s, Tongans have agitated for democratic reforms, but the king has consistently opposed any change that would dilute the monarchy's power. In 2001 it was revealed that as much as $37 million in government funds had disappeared as a result of investment in a Nevada asset management company. Amendments in 2003 to the constitution permit the restriction of freedom of speech, a move that was used to silence publications critical of the government.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.

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