ich employs about 70% of the labor
force and contributes 40% 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 11% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard
currency earnings, but the island remains dependent on sizable external aid
and remittances to offset its trade deficit.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $92 million (FY90)
National product real growth rate:
0.4% (FY92 est.)
National product per capita:
$900 (FY90)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (FY92 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $36.4 million; expenditures $68.1 million, including capital
expenditures of $33.2 million (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$18.8 million (f.o.b., FY92 est.)
commodities:
coconut oil, desiccated coconut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans,
fruits, vegetables, fish
partners:
Japan 34%, US 17%, Australia 13%, NZ 13% (FY91)
Imports:
$68.3 million (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
commodities:
food products, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, fuels,
chemicals
partners:
NZ 33%, Australia 22%, US 8%, Japan 8% (FY91)
External debt:
$47.5 million (FY91)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.7% (FY90); accounts for 11% of GDP
Electricity:
6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
tourism, fishing
Agriculture:
accounts for 40% of GDP; dominated by coconut, copra, and banana production;
vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $258 million
Currency:
1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Exchange rates:
pa'anga (T$) per US$1 - 1.3996 (January 1993), 1.3471 (1992), 1.2961 (1991),
1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989), 1.2799 (1988)
Fiscal year:
1 July-30 June

*Tonga, Communications

Highways:
198 km sealed road (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vava'u); 94 km unsealed roads usable
only in dry weather
Ports:
Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
Merchant marine:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,765 GRT/10,597 DWT; includes 1 cargo,
1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 liquefied gas
Airports:
total:
6
usable:
6
with permanent-surface runways:
1
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runway