n expenditures:

5% of GDP (2004)

Government
Tonga

Country name:

conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga
local long form: Pule'anga Tonga
local short form: Tonga
former: Friendly Islands

Government type:

constitutional monarchy

Capital:

name: Nuku'alofa
geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W
time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Independence:

4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday:

Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)

Constitution:

4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967

Legal system:

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:

21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: King George TUPOU V (since 11 September 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Feleti SEVELE (since 11
February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Viliami TANGI (since 16
May 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by the monarch
for life; four appointed from among the elected members of the
Legislative Assembly, including two each from the nobles' and
peoples' representatives serving three-year terms
note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch,
the cabinet, and two governors
elections: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy
prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 reserved
for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected
by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote;
members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held on 23-24 April 2008 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote -
independents 54%, THRDM 28%, PDP 14%; seats - THRDM 4, independents
3, PDP 2

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal
(Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen and
approved by Privy Council)

Political parties and leaders:

Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM [Uliti UATA];
People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA,
chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Fina