land area: 26 km2

_#_Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

_#_Land boundaries: none

_#_Coastline: 24 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to
November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

_#_Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

_#_Natural resources: fish

_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%

_#_Environment: severe tropical storms are rare

_#_Note: located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South
Pacific Ocean

_*_People
_#_Population: 9,317 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 33 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 63 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Tuvaluans(s); adjective--Tuvaluan

_#_Ethnic divisions: 96% Polynesian

_#_Religion: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.06%

_#_Language: Tuvaluan, English

_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

_#_Labor force: NA

_#_Organized labor: none

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: none

_#_Type: democracy

_#_Capital: Funafuti

_#_Administrative divisions: none

_#_Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands)

_#_Constitution: 1 October 1978

_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime
minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Palamene)

_#_Judicial branch: High Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Tupua LEUPENA (since 1 March 1986);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16
October 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October
1989)

_#_Political parties and leaders: none

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18

_#_Elections:

Parliament--last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by
September 1993);
results--percent of