1 January 1967

Legal system:
based on English law

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA
(since 3 January 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister James C. COCKER
(since NA January 2001)
cabinet: cabinet consists of 16 members, 12 appointed by the monarch
for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of the
Legislative Assembly including 2 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: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12
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 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT
70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of
Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief
justice of the Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders:
there are no political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote
VEA, chairman]

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU
chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025
FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024
consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is
accredited to Tonga

Flag description:
red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner

Economy Tonga

Economy - overview:
Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow