TUVALU GEOGRAPHY Total area: 26 km2; land area: 26 km2 Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 24 km Maritime claims: Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm 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 Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100% Environment: severe tropical storms are rare Note: located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean PEOPLE Population: 9,317 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991) Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 33 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 63 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Tuvaluans(s); adjective--Tuvaluan Ethnic divisions: 96% Polynesian Religion: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.06% Language: Tuvaluan, English Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) Labor force: NA Organized labor: none GOVERNMENT Long-form name: none Type: democracy Capital: Funafuti Administrative divisions: none Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands) Constitution: 1 October 1978 National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978) Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Palamene) Judicial branch: High Court Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Tupua LEUPENA (since 1 March 1986); Head of Government--Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16 October 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October 1989) Political parties and leaders: none Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: Parliament--last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(12 total) Member of: ACP, C (special), ESCAP, SPC, SPF, UPU Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); US--none Flag: 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 ECONOMY Overview: Tuvalu consists of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote for development of a tourist industry. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. GNP: $4.6 million, per capita $530; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1984) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $4.3 million; expenditures $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989) Exports: $1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.); commodities--copra; partners--Fiji, Australia, NZ Imports: $2.8 million (c.i.f., 1983 est.); commodities--food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods; partners--Fiji, Australia, NZ External debt: $NA Industrial production: growth rate NA Electricity: 2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 330 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: fishing, tourism, copra Agriculture: coconuts, copra Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $96 million Currency: Tuvaluan dollar and Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985) Fiscal year: NA COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 8 km gravel Ports: Funafuti, Nukufetau Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,043 GRT/450 DWT Civil air: no major transport aircraft Airports: 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 300 radiotelephones; 4,000 radios; 108 telephones DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Police Force Manpower availability: NA Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP