The population of Tuvalu is approximately 10,645 people (2017 Mini Census), but there are estimated to be more than 13,000 Tuvaluan speakers worldwide. In 2015 it was estimated that more than 3,500 Tuvaluans live in
New Zealand, with about half that number born in New Zealand and 65 percent of the
Tuvaluan community in New Zealand is able to speak Tuvaluan. (Full article...)
Image 2
Sport is an important part of
Tuvaluan culture, which sporting culture is based on traditional games and athletic activities and the adoption of some of the major international sports of the modern era.
Tuvalu elects a
legislature on a national level. The
Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu) has 16 members, elected for a four-year term in 8 double-seat
constituencies. Tuvalu is a de facto
non-partisan democracy since it does not have
political parties. The political system is based on personal alliances and loyalties derived from clan and family connections. It does tend to have both a distinct government and a distinct opposition. The 16 members of the current parliament are elected from eight two-seat constituencies via
plurality block voting.
Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC) is a state-owned enterprise of
Tuvalu, which provides fixed-line telephone communications to subscribers on each of the
islands of Tuvalu. Each island in Tuvalu relies on TTC for the use of a satellite dish for inter-island telephone communication and internet access. TTC also provides mobile phone services on
Funafuti and
Vaitupu. TTC is the sole provider of
Telecommunications in Tuvalu. TTC is established by the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation Act 1993. (Full article...)
Image 5
Tuvalu consists of nine separate islands: six
atolls and three
reef islands. An atoll typically consists of several
motus: Tuvalu has a total of 124 islands and islets. Each island is surrounded by a
coral reef. The soils of Tuvalu's islands are usually shallow, porous, alkaline, coarse-textured, with carbonate mineralogy and high
pH values of up to 8.2 to 8.9. The soils are usually deficient in most of the important nutrients needed for plant growth, so garden beds need to be enhanced with
mulch to increase their fertility. Tuvalu's small, widely scattered atolls have a total land area of only about 26 square kilometres (10 square miles) making Tuvalu the
fourth-smallest country in the world.
The sea level at the Funafuti tide gauge has been rising at a rate of 3.9 mm per year, and it has been determined that
rising sea levels are causing more wave energy to be transferred across reef surfaces, which has tended to push more sand onto island shorelines, increasing islands’ land area. Over a recent four-decade period, there was a net increase in the land area of the islets of 2.9% (73.5 ha), although the changes were not uniform: About 74% of them increased in size and about 27% decreased in size. (Full article...)
Image 6
Tuvalu competed at the
2016 Summer Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. The country's participation at Rio de Janeiro marked its third consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in
2008. The delegation included a single track and field athlete: sprinter
Etimoni Timuani. Etimoni was also the nation's flagbearer in the
Parade of Nations. He did not progress past the first round of his men's 100 metres competition. (Full article...)
Image 7
Vaitupu atoll from space
Vaitupu is the largest
atoll of the nation of
Tuvalu. It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,061 people (2017 Census) living on 5.6 square kilometres (2.2 square miles) with the main village being
Asau. (Full article...)
Image 8
Sopoanga in 2003
Saufatu SopoangaOBE (22 February 1952 – 15 December 2020) was a Tuvaluan politician who served as the eighth
prime minister of Tuvalu from 2 August 2002 to 27 August 2004. He drew international attention for his speeches warning about the effects of the
rising sea level on Tuvalu and other low-lying island countries.
He later served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006. His younger brother
Enele Sopoaga served as Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019. (Full article...)
Niulakita is the southernmost island of
Tuvalu, and also the name of the only village on this island. Niulakita has a population of 34 (2017 Census). The residents of Niulakita have moved to the island from
Niutao. Niulakita is represented in the
Parliament of Tuvalu by the members of the constituency of
Niutao. (Full article...)
This timeline of the history of Tuvalu chronologically lists important events occurring within the present political boundaries of the
Pacific island state of
Tuvalu. This time line is introduced by the theories as to the origins of the Polynesian people and the migration across the Pacific Ocean to create
Polynesia, which includes the islands of Tuvalu. (Full article...)
Image 12
Pulaka, Cyrtosperma merkusii, or swamp taro, is a
crop grown mainly in
Tuvalu and an important source of
carbohydrates for the area's inhabitants. It is a "
swamp crop" similar to
taro, but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots." The same plant is known as ‘‘pulaka’’ in Niue,
babai in Kiribati, puraka in Cook Islands, pula’a in Samoa, via, via kana or via kau in Fiji, pulaka in Tokelau, simiden in Chuuk, swam taro in Papua New Guinea, and navia in Vanuatu.
Pulaka roots need to be cooked for hours to reduce toxicity in the
corms, but are rich in nutrients, especially
calcium. Pulaka is an important part of Tuvalu cultural and culinary tradition, now under threat from rising
sea level and displacement from the growing use of imported food products. (Full article...)
Tuvalu is a
Polynesianisland nation located in the
Pacific Ocean, midway between
Hawaii and
Australia, with a population of 11,192 per the 2017 census. The economy of
Tuvalu is constrained by its remoteness and lack of
economies of scale. Government revenues largely come from fishing licences (primarily paid under the
South Pacific Tuna Treaty); direct grants from international donors (government donors as well as from the
Asian Development Bank); and income from the
Tuvalu Trust Fund. The lease of its highly fortuitous
.tvTop Level Domain (TLD) also contributes revenue. The sale of stamps since the independence of Tuvalu in 1976 has been an important source of revenue for the country and government. However, such revenue has significantly declined in recent years. Tuvalu has hardly any tourism. It has no tour guides, tour operators, or organised activities, and no cruise ships visit.
World Bank Statistics outline that in 2010 Tuvalu produced a bottom-tier ranking
Gross Domestic Product of $31,350,804 and
Gross National Income of $4,760, compared to other Pacific
SIDS states such as
Kiribati at $2,010 and the
Marshall Islands at $3,640. A large proportion of national income comes from the employment of 15% of adult male Tuvaluans overseas in the maritime industry. The value of these
remittances was valued at A$4 million (est. 2006) and on average accounts for 10% of GDP. A UN Report makes reference to the fact that these revenue streams are vulnerable to macroeconomic change while the national budget remains heavily subsidised through international aid and funding schemes such as the Tuvalu Trust Fund with a strong reliance on the importation of food, which was estimated at $15.5 million 2007. (Full article...)
The cuisine of Tuvalu is based on the staple of coconut and the many species of fish found in the ocean and the lagoons of the
atolls of
Tuvalu.
Pulaka, (
cyrtosperma merkusii), or swamp taro, is an important source of
carbohydrates. Rice now forms an important part of the diet. Coconut is used in different forms with
coconut water,
coconut milk and the flesh of the coconut being used to flavour dishes. Various desserts made on the islands include coconut and
coconut milk, instead of animal milk.
Image 2Ocean side of
Funafuti atoll showing the storm dunes, the highest point on the atoll. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 3The atoll of Funafuti; borings into a coral reef and the results, being the report of the Coral Reef Committee of the Royal Society (1904). (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 241st Lt.
Louis Zamperini, peers through a hole in his B-24D Liberator 'Super Man' made by a 20mm shell over Nauru, 20 April 1943. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 36Interior of a maneapa on Funafuti, Tuvalu. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 37Polynesia is the largest of three major cultural areas in the Pacific Ocean. Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the
Polynesian triangle. (from History of Tuvalu)
Cyclone Bebe passed over
Funafuti on October 21 & 22, 1972. It knocked down 90% of the houses and trees and caused extensive damage to
Princess Margaret Hospital and other public buildings.
The population of Tuvalu is approximately 10,645 people (2017 Mini Census), but there are estimated to be more than 13,000 Tuvaluan speakers worldwide. In 2015 it was estimated that more than 3,500 Tuvaluans live in
New Zealand, with about half that number born in New Zealand and 65 percent of the
Tuvaluan community in New Zealand is able to speak Tuvaluan. (Full article...)
Image 2
Sport is an important part of
Tuvaluan culture, which sporting culture is based on traditional games and athletic activities and the adoption of some of the major international sports of the modern era.
Tuvalu elects a
legislature on a national level. The
Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu) has 16 members, elected for a four-year term in 8 double-seat
constituencies. Tuvalu is a de facto
non-partisan democracy since it does not have
political parties. The political system is based on personal alliances and loyalties derived from clan and family connections. It does tend to have both a distinct government and a distinct opposition. The 16 members of the current parliament are elected from eight two-seat constituencies via
plurality block voting.
Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC) is a state-owned enterprise of
Tuvalu, which provides fixed-line telephone communications to subscribers on each of the
islands of Tuvalu. Each island in Tuvalu relies on TTC for the use of a satellite dish for inter-island telephone communication and internet access. TTC also provides mobile phone services on
Funafuti and
Vaitupu. TTC is the sole provider of
Telecommunications in Tuvalu. TTC is established by the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation Act 1993. (Full article...)
Image 5
Tuvalu consists of nine separate islands: six
atolls and three
reef islands. An atoll typically consists of several
motus: Tuvalu has a total of 124 islands and islets. Each island is surrounded by a
coral reef. The soils of Tuvalu's islands are usually shallow, porous, alkaline, coarse-textured, with carbonate mineralogy and high
pH values of up to 8.2 to 8.9. The soils are usually deficient in most of the important nutrients needed for plant growth, so garden beds need to be enhanced with
mulch to increase their fertility. Tuvalu's small, widely scattered atolls have a total land area of only about 26 square kilometres (10 square miles) making Tuvalu the
fourth-smallest country in the world.
The sea level at the Funafuti tide gauge has been rising at a rate of 3.9 mm per year, and it has been determined that
rising sea levels are causing more wave energy to be transferred across reef surfaces, which has tended to push more sand onto island shorelines, increasing islands’ land area. Over a recent four-decade period, there was a net increase in the land area of the islets of 2.9% (73.5 ha), although the changes were not uniform: About 74% of them increased in size and about 27% decreased in size. (Full article...)
Image 6
Tuvalu competed at the
2016 Summer Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. The country's participation at Rio de Janeiro marked its third consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in
2008. The delegation included a single track and field athlete: sprinter
Etimoni Timuani. Etimoni was also the nation's flagbearer in the
Parade of Nations. He did not progress past the first round of his men's 100 metres competition. (Full article...)
Image 7
Vaitupu atoll from space
Vaitupu is the largest
atoll of the nation of
Tuvalu. It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,061 people (2017 Census) living on 5.6 square kilometres (2.2 square miles) with the main village being
Asau. (Full article...)
Image 8
Sopoanga in 2003
Saufatu SopoangaOBE (22 February 1952 – 15 December 2020) was a Tuvaluan politician who served as the eighth
prime minister of Tuvalu from 2 August 2002 to 27 August 2004. He drew international attention for his speeches warning about the effects of the
rising sea level on Tuvalu and other low-lying island countries.
He later served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006. His younger brother
Enele Sopoaga served as Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019. (Full article...)
Niulakita is the southernmost island of
Tuvalu, and also the name of the only village on this island. Niulakita has a population of 34 (2017 Census). The residents of Niulakita have moved to the island from
Niutao. Niulakita is represented in the
Parliament of Tuvalu by the members of the constituency of
Niutao. (Full article...)
This timeline of the history of Tuvalu chronologically lists important events occurring within the present political boundaries of the
Pacific island state of
Tuvalu. This time line is introduced by the theories as to the origins of the Polynesian people and the migration across the Pacific Ocean to create
Polynesia, which includes the islands of Tuvalu. (Full article...)
Image 12
Pulaka, Cyrtosperma merkusii, or swamp taro, is a
crop grown mainly in
Tuvalu and an important source of
carbohydrates for the area's inhabitants. It is a "
swamp crop" similar to
taro, but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots." The same plant is known as ‘‘pulaka’’ in Niue,
babai in Kiribati, puraka in Cook Islands, pula’a in Samoa, via, via kana or via kau in Fiji, pulaka in Tokelau, simiden in Chuuk, swam taro in Papua New Guinea, and navia in Vanuatu.
Pulaka roots need to be cooked for hours to reduce toxicity in the
corms, but are rich in nutrients, especially
calcium. Pulaka is an important part of Tuvalu cultural and culinary tradition, now under threat from rising
sea level and displacement from the growing use of imported food products. (Full article...)
Tuvalu is a
Polynesianisland nation located in the
Pacific Ocean, midway between
Hawaii and
Australia, with a population of 11,192 per the 2017 census. The economy of
Tuvalu is constrained by its remoteness and lack of
economies of scale. Government revenues largely come from fishing licences (primarily paid under the
South Pacific Tuna Treaty); direct grants from international donors (government donors as well as from the
Asian Development Bank); and income from the
Tuvalu Trust Fund. The lease of its highly fortuitous
.tvTop Level Domain (TLD) also contributes revenue. The sale of stamps since the independence of Tuvalu in 1976 has been an important source of revenue for the country and government. However, such revenue has significantly declined in recent years. Tuvalu has hardly any tourism. It has no tour guides, tour operators, or organised activities, and no cruise ships visit.
World Bank Statistics outline that in 2010 Tuvalu produced a bottom-tier ranking
Gross Domestic Product of $31,350,804 and
Gross National Income of $4,760, compared to other Pacific
SIDS states such as
Kiribati at $2,010 and the
Marshall Islands at $3,640. A large proportion of national income comes from the employment of 15% of adult male Tuvaluans overseas in the maritime industry. The value of these
remittances was valued at A$4 million (est. 2006) and on average accounts for 10% of GDP. A UN Report makes reference to the fact that these revenue streams are vulnerable to macroeconomic change while the national budget remains heavily subsidised through international aid and funding schemes such as the Tuvalu Trust Fund with a strong reliance on the importation of food, which was estimated at $15.5 million 2007. (Full article...)
The cuisine of Tuvalu is based on the staple of coconut and the many species of fish found in the ocean and the lagoons of the
atolls of
Tuvalu.
Pulaka, (
cyrtosperma merkusii), or swamp taro, is an important source of
carbohydrates. Rice now forms an important part of the diet. Coconut is used in different forms with
coconut water,
coconut milk and the flesh of the coconut being used to flavour dishes. Various desserts made on the islands include coconut and
coconut milk, instead of animal milk.
Image 2Ocean side of
Funafuti atoll showing the storm dunes, the highest point on the atoll. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 3The atoll of Funafuti; borings into a coral reef and the results, being the report of the Coral Reef Committee of the Royal Society (1904). (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 241st Lt.
Louis Zamperini, peers through a hole in his B-24D Liberator 'Super Man' made by a 20mm shell over Nauru, 20 April 1943. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 36Interior of a maneapa on Funafuti, Tuvalu. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 37Polynesia is the largest of three major cultural areas in the Pacific Ocean. Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the
Polynesian triangle. (from History of Tuvalu)
Cyclone Bebe passed over
Funafuti on October 21 & 22, 1972. It knocked down 90% of the houses and trees and caused extensive damage to
Princess Margaret Hospital and other public buildings.