ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF,OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO,UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lorempo LANDJERGUE chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia McMahon HAWKINS embassy: 4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome; 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20512-2300 telephone: [228] 261-5470 FAX: [228] 261-5501
Flag description:
five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; a white five-pointed star on a red square is in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
EconomyTogo
Economy - overview:
This small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export earnings with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate. The government's decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly. Progress depends on follow through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors. Togo is working with donors to write a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) that could eventually lead to a debt reduction plan. Economic growth remains marginal due to declining cotton production, underinvestment in phosphate mining, and strained relations with donors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.042 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.497 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$900 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 40% industry: 25% services: 35% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
1.302 million (1998)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
32% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
24.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $466.8 million expenditures: $514.7 million (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$624.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$383.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$590.7 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish
Industries:
phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages
Industrial production growth rate:
1% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
203 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
607 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
505 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 98.7% hydro: 1.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
17,770 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
1,547 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
16,650 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$159 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$702 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa
Exports - partners:
Ghana 16.8%, Burkina Faso 14.5%, Germany 9.2%, Benin 9.1%,Netherlands 5.9%, Mali 5.8%, India 4.7% (2007)
Imports:
$1.201 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
China 36.3%, Estonia 9.6%, US 7.6%, Netherlands 7.3%, France 7% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $86.71 million (2005 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$438 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2 billion (2005)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 482.71 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
CommunicationsTogo
Telephones - main lines in use:
82,100 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.19 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile-cellular system domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 15 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:
940,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
73,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.tg
Internet hosts:
769 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2001)
Internet users:
320,000 (2006)
TransportationTogo
Airports:
9 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Railways:
total: 568 km narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 7,520 km paved: 2,376 km unpaved: 5,144 km (2000)
Waterways:
50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 10 by type: cargo 9, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 6 (Bangladesh 1, Denmark 1, Egypt 1, Lebanon 1, Syria 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Kpeme, Lome
MilitaryTogo
Military branches:
Togolese Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Togolese Navy (Marine duTogo), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, FAT), NationalGendarmerie (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,365,505 females age 16-49: 1,374,993 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 897,195 females age 16-49: 913,327 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 69,156 female: 69,200 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesTogo
Disputes - international:
in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary; in 2006 14,000 Togolese refugees remain in Benin and Ghana out of the 40,000 who fled there in 2005
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 5,000 (Ghana) IDPs: 1,500 (2007)
Illicit drugs:
transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Tokelau
IntroductionTokelau
Background:
Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925. Referenda held in 2006 and 2007 to change the status of the islands from that of a New Zealand territory to one of free association with New Zealand did not meet the needed threshold for approval.
GeographyTokelau
Location:
Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 10 sq km land: 10 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
101 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
Terrain:
low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources:
Land use:
arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile) permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
lies in Pacific typhoon belt
Environment - current issues:
limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand
Geography - note:
consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level
PeopleTokelau
Population:
1,433 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% 15-64 years: 53% 65 years and over: 5%
Population growth rate:
-0.011% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Death rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
NA (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: Tokelauan(s) adjective: Tokelauan
Ethnic groups:
Polynesian
Religions:
Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2% note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant
Languages:
Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English
Literacy:
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years male: 10 years female: 11 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
GovernmentTokelau
Country name:
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tokelau
Dependency status:
self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelau and New Zealand have agreed to a draft constitution as Tokelau moves toward free association with New Zealand; a UN sponsored referendum on self governance in October 2007 did not produce the two-thirds majority vote necessary for changing the political status
Government type:
Capital:
none; each atoll has its own administrative center time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of New Zealand)
Independence:
none (territory of New Zealand)
National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Constitution:
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948; amended in 1970
Legal system:
New Zealand and local statutes
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); New Zealand is represented by Administrator David PAYTON (since 17 October 2006) head of government: Pio TUIA (since 23 February 2008); note - position rotates annually among the three Faipule (village leaders) cabinet: the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, consisting of three Faipule (village leaders) and three Pulenuku (village mayors), functions as a cabinet elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves a one-year term
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Fono (20 seats; based upon proportional representation from the three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; Atafu has seven seats, Fakaofo has seven seats, Nukunonu has six seats); note - the Tokelau Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the General Fono elections: last held 17-19 January 2008 (next to be held in 2011) election results: independents 20
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal jurisdiction in Tokelau
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
PIF (observer), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of New Zealand)
Flag description:
the flag of New Zealand is used
EconomyTokelau
Economy - overview:
Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public services with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to families from relatives in New Zealand.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.5 million (1993 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
GDP - real growth rate:
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,000 (1993 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Labor force:
440 (2001)
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
Budget:
revenues: $430,800 expenditures: $2.8 million (1987 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Agriculture - products:
coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats; fish
Industries:
small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Exports:
$0 (2002)
Exports - commodities:
stamps, copra, handicrafts
Exports - partners:
New Zealand (2006)
Imports:
$969,200 c.i.f. (2002)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, building materials, fuel
Imports - partners:
New Zealand (2006)
Currency (code):
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003)
CommunicationsTokelau
Telephones - main lines in use:
300 (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system domestic: radiotelephone service between islands international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok); satellite earth stations - 3
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA (one radio station provides service to all islands) (2002)
Radios:
1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.tk
Internet hosts:
273 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
TransportationTokelau
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
MilitaryTokelau
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Transnational IssuesTokelau
Disputes - international:
Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island (Olohega) in its 2006 draft constitution
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Tonga
IntroductionTonga
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.
GeographyTonga
Location:
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 748 sq km land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km
Area - comparative:
four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
419 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Terrain:
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m
Natural resources:
fish, fertile soil
Land use:
arable land: 20% permanent crops: 14.67% other: 65.33% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
PeopleTonga
Population:
119,009 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.7% (male 20,484/female 19,633) 15-64 years: 62% (male 36,699/female 37,108) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 2,135/female 2,950) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.8 years male: 21.3 years female: 22.3 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.669% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
21.81 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 11.88 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.44 years male: 67.9 years female: 73.1 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Nationality:
noun: Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan
Ethnic groups:
Polynesian, Europeans
Religions:
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)
Languages:
Tongan, English
Literacy:
definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1999 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 13 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (2004)
GovernmentTonga
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
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
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)
Administrative divisions:
3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Independence:
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)
National holiday:
Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970)
Constitution:
4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
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 consists of 14 members, 10 appointed by the monarch for life; four appointed from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, including two 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: the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (32 seats - 14 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms) elections: last held on 23-24 April 2008 (next to be held in 2011) election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - independents 54%, THRDM 28%, PDP 14%; seats - THRDM 4, independents 3, PDP 2
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)
Political parties and leaders:
Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM [Uliti UATA];People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, ITUC, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca,SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga
Flag description:
red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
EconomyTonga
Economy - overview:
Tonga has a small, open, South Pacific island economy. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops, and agricultural exports, including fish, 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$526 million (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$219 million (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-3.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,100 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 25% industry: 17% services: 57% (FY05/06 est.)
Labor force:
33,910 (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 65% industry and services: 35% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
13% (FY03/04 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $80.48 million expenditures: $109.8 million (FY07/08)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.9% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.16% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$46.38 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$106.8 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$163.1 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish
Industries:
tourism, construction, fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
1% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
43 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
39.99 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
870 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - imports:
1,035 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2007 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2007 est.)
Current account balance:
-$23 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$22 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops
Exports - partners:
US 36.7%, Japan 21.6%, NZ 10.1%, Fiji 5.8%, Samoa 4.9% (2007)
Imports:
$139 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Fiji 32.5%, NZ 27.5%, US 9%, Australia 7.4%, China 5% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$31.75 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$40.83 million (yearend, FY04/05)
Debt - external:
$80.7 million (2004)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
pa'anga (TOP)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2.0277 (2006), 1.96 (2005), 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003)
CommunicationsTonga
Telephones - main lines in use:
21,000 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
46,500 (2007)
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: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 40 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switched network international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios:
61,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (2004)
Televisions:
2,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.to
Internet hosts:
19,231 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
8,400 (2007)
TransportationTonga
Airports:
6 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 680 km paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 13 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 8, carrier 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 1, Cyprus 1, Switzerland 1, UK 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Nuku'alofa
MilitaryTonga
Military branches:
Tonga Defense Services (TDS): Land Force (Royal Guard), Naval Force (includes Royal Marines, Air Wing) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 32,053 females age 16-49: 30,981 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 25,520 females age 16-49: 26,893 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,464 female: 1,412 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational IssuesTonga
Disputes - international:
none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Trinidad and Tobago
IntroductionTrinidad and Tobago
Background:
First colonized by the Spanish, the islands came under British control in the early 19th century. The islands' sugar industry was hurt by the emancipation of the slaves in 1834. Manpower was replaced with the importation of contract laborers from India between 1845 and 1917, which boosted sugar production as well as the cocoa industry. The discovery of oil on Trinidad in 1910 added another important export. Independence was attained in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime.
GeographyTrinidad and Tobago
Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North AtlanticOcean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 5,128 sq km land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
362 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Terrain:
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Land use:
arable land: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
3.8 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.31 cu km/yr (68%/26%/6%) per capita: 237 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Environment - current issues:
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt
PeopleTrinidad and Tobago
Population:
1,047,366 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 102,352/female 96,487) 15-64 years: 71.8% (male 396,352/female 356,080) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 42,998/female 53,097) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 32.3 years male: 31.9 years female: 32.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.891% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
13.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: