Tuvalu
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu local long form: none local short form: Tuvalu former: Ellice Islands note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands |
| Gevernment type | constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy |
| Capital |
name: Funafuti
geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet |
| 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 |
| Currency | Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar |
| Internet country code | .tv |
| Ports and terminals | Funafuti |
| Agriculture products | coconuts; fish |
| Industries | fishing, tourism, copra |
| Geography |
| Location | Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia |
| Coordinates | 8 00 S, 178 00 E |
| Continent | Oceania |
| Area |
total: 26 sq km
land: 26 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Boundaries | 0 km |
| Coastline | 24 km |
| 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 |
| Natural hazards | severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level |
| People |
| Population | 11,810 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4% |
| Religions | Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6% |
| Languages | Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) |
