with more than 1,000 inhabitants, one from all
the other inhabited islands; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997)
election results : percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12

Judicial branch: High Court; note - a chief justice visits twice a
year to preside over sessions of the High Court

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: AsDB, C (special), ESCAP,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US: Tuvalu does not have an embassy
in the US

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

Flag description: 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

Economy

Economy - overview: Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, 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 large-scale tourist industry. Government
revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker
remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate
mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as
phosphate resources decline, which will present additional problems
for Tuvalu's already stretched economy. Substantial income is received
annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by
Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea.
In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government
is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some
government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.8 million (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 8.7% (1995)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2.9% (1989)

Labor force: NA
by occupation : NA
note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea,
reefs, and atolls and from wa