Tonga (2006) | Dominica (2007) | |
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Administrative divisions | 3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u | 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 35.3% (male 20,679/female 19,843)
15-64 years: 60.5% (male 34,399/female 34,964) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,059/female 2,745) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 25.6% (male 9,481/female 9,048)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 23,822/female 22,656) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,165/female 4,214) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish | bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited |
Airports | 6 (2006) | 2 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
- |
Area | total: 748 sq km
land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km |
total: 754 sq km
land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | four times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific. | Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean. |
Birth rate | 25.37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 15.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $56.97 million
expenditures: $83.88 million; including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY99/00 est.) |
revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million (2001) |
Capital | name: Nuku'alofa
geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
Coastline | 419 km | 148 km |
Constitution | 4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967 | 3 November 1978 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga local long form: Pule'anga Tonga local short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica |
Death rate | 5.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 8.44 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $80.7 million (2004) | $213 million (2004) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga | the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU
chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 consulate(s) general: San Francisco |
chief of mission: vacant
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | none | Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea |
Economic aid - recipient | $19.3 million Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02) | $15.17 million (2005 est.) |
Economy - overview | Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government. | The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island. |
Electricity - consumption | 31.62 million kWh (2003) | 74.4 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 34 million kWh (2003) | 80 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian, Europeans | black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census) |
Exchange rates | pa'anga per US dollar - 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King George TUPOU V (since 11 September 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Feleti SEVELE (since 11 February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Viliami TANGI (since 16 May 2006) cabinet: Cabinet currently consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by the monarch for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, including 2 each from the nobles and peoples representatives serving three year terms note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the cabinet, and two governors elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops | bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges |
Exports - partners | Japan 41.5%, US 33.1%, NZ 6.3% (2005) | UK 24.8%, Jamaica 12.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 9.8%, Guyana 8.3%, China 7.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 5.4%, Saint Lucia 4.5% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner | green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 23%
industry: 27% services: 50% (FY03/04 est.) |
agriculture: 17.7%
industry: 32.8% services: 49.5% (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.4% (2005 est.) | 3.1% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 20 00 S, 175 00 W | 15 25 N, 61 20 W |
Geography - note | archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited) | known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak, making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals | manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals |
Imports - partners | NZ 33.4%, Fiji 26.7%, Australia 10.5%, US 8.4% (2005) | US 25.2%, China 22.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.7%, South Korea 4.8% (2006) |
Independence | 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate) | 3 November 1978 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1% (2003 est.) | -10% (1997 est.) |
Industries | tourism, fishing | soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes |
Infant mortality rate | total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 14.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 11.1% (2005 est.) | -0.1% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen and approved by Privy Council) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction) |
Labor force | 33,910 (2003) | 25,000 (1999 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 65%
industry and services: 35% (1997 est.) |
agriculture: 40%
industry: 32% services: 28% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 14.67% other: 65.33% (2005) |
arable land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005) |
Languages | Tongan, English | English (official), French patois |
Legal system | based on English law | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, 9 for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and 9 elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2 |
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010); note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.1%, UWP 43.6%, DFP 3.2%, other 1.1%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.82 years
male: 67.32 years female: 72.45 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 75.1 years
male: 72.17 years female: 78.18 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1999 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.) |
Location | Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 62,185 GRT/72,960 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 10, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2006) |
total: 53 ships (1000 GRT or over) 716,435 GRT/1,252,537 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 30, chemical tanker 2, container 1, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 50 (Estonia 8, Greece 8, India 2, Latvia 2, Lebanon 1, Norway 1, NZ 3, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 8, Syria 2, Turkey 9, Ukraine 3) (2007) |
Military branches | Tonga Defense Services: Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2006) | no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes coast guard) (2006) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | NA (2006) |
National holiday | Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970) | Independence Day, 3 November (1978) |
Nationality | noun: Tongan(s)
adjective: Tongan |
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
Natural hazards | cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou | flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months |
Natural resources | fish, fertile soil | timber, hydropower, arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -5.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | People's Democratic Party [Tesina FUKO] | Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Earl WILLIAMS] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE] | Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party) |
Population | 114,689 (July 2006 est.) | 72,386 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 24% NA% | 30% (2002 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.01% (2006 est.) | 0.184% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004) | AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2003) |
Religions | Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents) | Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.051 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.751 male(s)/female total population: 1.015 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television
domestic: fully automatic switched network international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network international: country code - 1-767; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia |
Telephones - main lines in use | 11,200 (2002) | 21,000 (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 16,400 (2004) | 41,800 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (2004) | 1 (2004) |
Terrain | most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base | rugged mountains of volcanic origin |
Total fertility rate | 3 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 2.12 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 13% (FY03/04 est.) | 23% (2000 est.) |