(1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088
(1986), 2.0064 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

_*_Communications
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

_#_Airports: none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from Western
Samoa

_#_Telecommunications: telephone service between islands and to
Western Samoa

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
_%_
_@_Tonga
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 748 km2; land area: 718 km2

_#_Comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of
Washington, DC

_#_Land boundaries: none

_#_Coastline: 419 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Continental shelf: no specific limits;

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December
to May), cool season (May to December)

_#_Terrain: most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted
coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

_#_Natural resources: fish, fertile soil

_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 55%; meadows and
pastures 6%; forest and woodland 12%; other 2%

_#_Environment: archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited); subject to
cyclones (October to April); deforestation

_#_Note: located about 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about
two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand

_*_People
_#_Population: 102,272 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Tongan(s); adjective--Tongan

_#_Ethnic divisions: Polynesian; about 300 Europeans

_#_Religion: Christian; Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000
adherents

_#_Language: Tongan, English

_#_Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can
read and write a simple message in Tongan or English (1976)

_#_Labor force: NA; 70% agriculture; 600 engaged in mining

_#_Organized labor: none

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Kingdom of Tonga

_#_Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy

_#_Capital: Nukualofa

_#_Administrative divisions: thr