xt to be held NA February 1993);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(29 total, 9 elected) 6 proreform, 3 traditionalist

Communists: none known

Member of: ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, FAO, ESCAP, GATT (de facto),
IFAD, ITU, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Siosaia a'Ulupekotofa
TUITA resides in London;
US--the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is accredited
to Tonga and makes periodic visits

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

- Economy
Overview: The economy's base is agriculture, which employs about
70% of the labor force and contributes 50% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and
vanilla beans are the main crops and make up two-thirds of exports. The
country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand.
The manufacturing sector accounts for only 10% of GDP. Tourism is the primary
source of hard currency earnings, but the island remains dependent on
sizable external aid and remittances to sustain its trade deficit.

GDP: $86 million, per capita $850; real growth rate 3.6%
(FY89 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (FY87)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $54.8 million; expenditures $56.2 million, including
capital expenditures of $16.9 million (FY88 est.)

Exports: $9.1 million (f.o.b., FY88 est.);
commodities--coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro,
vanilla beans, fruits, vegetables, fish;
partners--NZ 54%, Australia 30%, US 8%, Fiji 5% (FY87)

Imports: $60.1 million (c.i.f., FY88 est.); commodities--food
products, beverages and tobacco, fuels, machinery and transport equipment,
chemicals, building materials;
partners--NZ 39%, Australia 25%, Japan 9%, US 6%, EC 5% (FY87)

External debt: $31.8 million (1987)

Industrial production: growth rate 15% (FY86)

Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced,
80 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: tourism, fishing

Agriculture: dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production;
vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $15 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $220 million

Currency: pa'anga (plural--pa'anga); 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti

Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1--1.23 (FY89 est.), 1.37 (FY88),
1.51 (FY87), 1.43 (FY86), 1.30 (FY85)

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

- Communications
Highways: 1