|
Tuvalu
Find a premier Hotel & Resort at
Hilton Hotels.
or book
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funafuti is the sinking capital of the small
island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of
approximately 4,000, making it the most
populated atoll in this country. It is a narrow
sweep of land between 20 and 400 meters wide,
encircling a large lagoon. There is an airstrip,
hotel (Vaiaku Langi Hotel), and administrative
buildings, as well as homes, constructed both in
the traditional manner, out of palm fronds, and
more recently out of cement blocks. The most
prominent building on Funafuti atoll is the
Church of Tuvalu. Other sites of interest are
the remains of American aircraft that crashed on
Funafuti during World War II, when the airstrip
was used by the American forces to defend the
Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati). The USA claimed
Funafuti until a treaty of friendship was
concluded in the late 70's or early 80's.
The largest sinking island is Fongafale. On this
island, there are four villages, of which one is
Vaiaku, where the government is located. The
capital of Tuvalu is sometimes given as
Fongafale or Vaiaku, but the entire atoll of
Funafuti is officially the capital.
|
|
|
Background:
|
In 1974, ethnic differences within the British
colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the
Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for
separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert
Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands
became the separate British colony of Tuvalu.
Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu
negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain
name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the
next dozen years. |
|
Location:
|
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral
atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of
the way from Hawaii to Australia |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
8 00
S, 178 00 E
|
|
Map references:
|
Oceania |
|
Area:
|
total: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 26 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
0.1
times the size of Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km
|
|
Coastline:
|
24 km
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 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 |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
fish
|
|
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) |
|
Currency:
|
Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a
Tuvaluan dollar |
|
Currency code:
|
AUD
|
|
Exchange rates:
|
Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar
- 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173
(2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997)
|
|
Internet country code:
|
.tv
|
|
|
|
|
|
●
