rest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the
spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about
global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on
rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water
table

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

@Tuvalu:People

Population: 10,838 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 1,872; female 1,802)
15-64 years: 61% (male 3,149; female 3,458)
65 years and over: 5% (male 239; female 318) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.41% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 21.78 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 7.66 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 23.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.32 years
male: 64.21 years
female: 68.53 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.11 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups: Polynesian 96%

Religions: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Languages: Tuvaluan, English

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%

@Tuvalu:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands

Data code: TV

Government type: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary
democracy; began debating republic status in 1992

Capital: Funafuti

Administrative divisions: none

Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution: 1 October 1978

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Tomasi PUAPUA (since 26 June 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Ionatana IONATANA (since NA April
1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Lagitupu (of