--- title: Tonga — English Wikipedia · full text with trees description: Wikipedia's «Tonga», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Tonga, officially known as the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Tonga/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Tonga # Tonga From Wikipedia, [«Tonga»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonga), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. The English Wikipedia article «Tonga», whole: 41 sections, 327 sentences and 6632 words, its 113 notes at the end. The marks in brackets «[n]» are Wikipedia's own, each leading to its note and source; the small number after every sentence leads to the sentence's own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Tonga/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Tonga/page/3/) | Facts | | | --- | --- | | | **Kingdom of Tonga · Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga** | | | **Motto:** "Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku tofiʻa"; "God and Tonga are my inheritance" | | | **Anthem:** "[Ko e fasi ʻo e tuʻi ʻo e ʻOtu Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_e_fasi_ʻo_e_tuʻi_ʻo_e_ʻOtu_Tonga)"; "Song of the King of the Tonga Islands" | | Capital and largest city | [Nukuʻalofa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nukuʻalofa) [corpus](../Nukuʻalofa/ "in our corpus"); 21°8′S 175°12′W | | Official languages | [Tongan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language); [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language) | | [Ethnic groups](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_group) (2021[\[1\]](page/3/#ref-1 "note 1")) | 96.5% [Tongan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongans); 3.5% others | | [Demonym](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonym) | [Tongan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongans) | | Government | [Semi-constitutional monarchy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-constitutional_monarchy) | | • [Monarch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_of_Tonga) | [Tupou VI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupou_VI) | | • [Prime Minister](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Tonga) | [Fatafehi Fakafānua](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatafehi_Fakafānua) | | • [Assembly Speaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Assembly_of_Tonga) | [ʻAlipate Tuʻivanuavou Vaea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ʻAlipate_Tuʻivanuavou_Vaea) | | Legislature | [Legislative Assembly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Assembly_of_Tonga) | | **[Formation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tonga)** | | | • [Unification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tonga#Unification) | c. 1845 | | • Treaty of Friendship makes British protected state | 18 May 1900 | | • Independence from the [United Kingdom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom) [corpus](../United_Kingdom/ "in our corpus") | 4 June 1970 | | **Area** | | | • Total | 748 km² (289 sq mi) ([175th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_area)) | | • Water (%) | 4.0 | | **Population** | | | • 2021 census | 100,179[\[2\]](page/3/#ref-2 "note 2") ([183rd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population)) | | • Density | 139/km² (360/sq mi) ([92nd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_density)) | | [GDP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product) ([PPP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity)) | 2019 estimate | | • Total | $655 million | | • Per capita | $6,496[\[3\]](page/3/#ref-3 "note 3") | | [GDP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product) (nominal) | 2019 estimate | | • Total | $493 million | | • Per capita | $4,888[\[3\]](page/3/#ref-3 "note 3") | | [Gini](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient) (2021) | 27.1[\[4\]](page/3/#ref-4 "note 4"); low inequality | | [HDI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index) (2022) | 0.739[\[5\]](page/3/#ref-5 "note 5"); high ([98th](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index)) | | Currency | [Paʻanga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_paʻanga) ([TOP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217)) | | Time zone | [UTC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time)[+13](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC+13:00) | | Calling code | [+676](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/+676) | | [Internet TLD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level_domain) | [.to](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.to) | | | Based on 2005 figures. | Tonga,[\[7\]](page/3/#ref-7 "note 7") officially known as the Kingdom of Tonga,[\[9\]](page/3/#ref-9 "note 9") is an [island country](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_country) in [Polynesia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesia), part of [Oceania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceania).[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") The country has [171 islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_and_towns_in_Tonga), of which 45 are inhabited.[\[1\]](page/3/#ref-1 "note 1")[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") Its total surface area is about 750 km2, scattered over 700000 km2 in the southern [Pacific Ocean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean). as of 2021 according to Johnson's Tribune, Tonga has a population of 104,494,[\[10\]](page/3/#ref-10 "note 10") 70% of whom live on the main island, [Tongatapu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongatapu).[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") The country stretches approximately 800 km north-south.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") It is surrounded by [Fiji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji) [corpus](../Fiji/ "in our corpus") and [Wallis and Futuna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis_and_Futuna) (France) to the northwest, [Samoa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa) [corpus](../Samoa/ "in our corpus") to the northeast, [New Caledonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia) (France) and [Vanuatu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanuatu) [corpus](../Vanuatu/ "in our corpus") to the west, [Niue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niue) [corpus](../Niue/ "in our corpus") (the nearest foreign territory) to the east and [Kermadec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermadec_Islands) (New Zealand) to the southwest.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") Tonga is about 1800 km from New Zealand's [North Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Island).[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Tonga was first inhabited roughly 2,500 years ago by people who were a part of the [Lapita culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapita_culture), Polynesian settlers who gradually evolved a distinct and strong ethnic identity, [language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_language), and [culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture) as the [Tongan people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongans).[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") They quickly established a powerful footing across the South Pacific, and this period of Tongan expansionism and colonization is known as the [Tuʻi Tonga Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuʻi_Tonga_Empire).[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") From the rule of the first [Tongan king](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Tonga), [ʻAhoʻeitu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ʻAhoʻeitu), Tonga grew into a regional power.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") It was a [thalassocracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalassocracy) that conquered and controlled unprecedented swathes of the Pacific, from parts of the [Solomon Islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Islands) [corpus](../Solomon_Islands/ "in our corpus") and the whole of [New Caledonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia) and [Fiji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji) [corpus](../Fiji/ "in our corpus") in the west to Samoa and Niue and even as far as parts of modern-day [French Polynesia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Polynesia) in the east.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Tuʻi Tonga became renowned for its economic, ethnic, and cultural influence over the Pacific, which remained strong even after the Samoan revolution of the thirteenth century and Europeans' discovery of the islands in 1616.[\[11\]](page/3/#ref-11 "note 11")[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") From 1900 to 1970, Tonga had [British protected-state status](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Tonga_%281900–1970%29).[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") The United Kingdom looked after Tonga's foreign affairs under a Treaty of Friendship, but Tonga never relinquished its [sovereignty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty) to any foreign power.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2010, Tonga took a decisive step away from its traditional [absolute monarchy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_monarchy) and became a [semi-constitutional monarchy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-constitutional_monarchy), after legislative reforms paved the way for its [first](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Tongan_general_election) partial [representative elections](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representative_election).[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Tonga is a member of the [Commonwealth of Nations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations), the [United Nations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations), the [Pacific Islands Forum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Islands_Forum), and the [Alliance of Small Island States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_of_Small_Island_States).[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Etymology In many [Polynesian languages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesian_languages), including Tongan, the word tonga (ˈtoŋa),[\[12\]](page/3/#ref-12 "note 12")[\[13\]](page/3/#ref-13 "note 13")[\[14\]](page/3/#ref-14 "note 14") comes from fakatonga, which means 'southwards', and the archipelago is so named because it is the southernmost group among the island groups of western Polynesia.[\[15\]](page/3/#ref-15 "note 15")[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The word tonga is cognate to the [Hawaiian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_language) word kona meaning 'leeward', which is the origin of the name for the [Kona District in Hawaii](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kona_District,_Hawaii).[\[16\]](page/3/#ref-16 "note 16")[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Tonga became known in the West as the "Friendly Islands" because of the congenial reception accorded to Captain [James Cook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cook) on his first visit in 1773.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") He arrived at the time of the annual ʻinasi festival, which centres on the donation of the [First Fruits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Fruits) to the [Tuʻi Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuʻi_Tonga) (the islands' monarch), so he received an invitation to the festivities.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Ironically, according to the writer [William Mariner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Mariner_%28writer%29), the political leaders actually wanted to kill Cook during the gathering, but did not go through with it because they could not agree on a plan of action for accomplishing it.[\[17\]](page/3/#ref-17 "note 17")[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") ## History Main article: [History of Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Tonga) According to [Tongan mythology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_mythology), the demigod [Maui](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maui_%28mythology%29) drew up a group of islands from the ocean, first appearing [Tongatapu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongatapu), the [Ha'apai Islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha%27apai_Islands) and [Vava'u](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vava%27u), integrating into what became modern-day Tonga.[\[18\]](page/3/#ref-18 "note 18")[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") An [Austronesian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austronesian_languages)-speaking group linked to what archaeologists call the [Lapita culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapita_culture) covered from [Island Melanesia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Melanesia) to [Samoa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa) [corpus](../Samoa/ "in our corpus"), and then on to inhabit Tonga sometime between 1500 and 1000 BC.[\[19\]](page/3/#ref-19 "note 19")[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") Scholars still debate exactly when Tonga was first settled, but [thorium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium) dating confirms that settlers had arrived in the earliest known inhabited town, Nukuleka, by 888 BC, ± 8 years.[\[20\]](page/3/#ref-20 "note 20")[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Tonga's precontact history was shared via [oral history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_tradition), which was passed down from generation to generation.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") By the 12th century, Tongans and the Tongan monarch, the [Tuʻi Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuʻi_Tonga), had acquired a reputation across the central Pacific – from [Niue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niue) [corpus](../Niue/ "in our corpus"), [Samoa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa) [corpus](../Samoa/ "in our corpus"), [Rotuma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotuma), [Wallis and Futuna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis_and_Futuna), [New Caledonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia) to [Tikopia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikopia), leading some historians to speak of a Tuʻi Tonga Empire having existed during that period.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Civil wars are known to have occurred in Tonga in the 15th and 17th centuries.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tongan people first encountered Europeans in 1616, when the Dutch vessel [Eendracht](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eendracht_%281615_ship%29), captained by [Willem Schouten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Schouten), made a short visit to the islands for the purpose of engaging in trade.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Later, other Dutch explorers arrived, including [Jacob Le Maire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Le_Maire) (who visited the northern island of [Niuatoputapu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niuatoputapu)); and [Abel Tasman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel_Tasman) (who visited Tongatapu and [Haʻapai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haʻapai)) in 1643.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") Later noteworthy European visitors included James Cook, of the British Royal Navy, in 1773, 1774, and 1777; Spanish Navy explorers [Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Mourelle) in 1781; [Alessandro Malaspina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Malaspina) in 1793; the first [Protestant missionaries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_missionaries_in_Polynesia) in 1797; and a [Wesleyan Methodist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodism) minister, Reverend Walter Lawry, in 1822.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") [Whaling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling) vessels were among the earliest regular Western visitors.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") The first of these on record is the Ann and Hope, which was reported to have been seen among the islands of Tonga in June 1799.[\[21\]](page/3/#ref-21 "note 21")[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") The last known whaling visitor was the Albatross in 1899.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") That ship arrived in Tonga seeking a resupply of water, food, and wood.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") The islands most regularly visited by Westerners were Ata, 'Eua, Ha'apai, Tongatapu, and Vava'u.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Sometimes, Tongan men were recruited to serve as crewmen on these vessels.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") The [United States Exploring Expedition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Exploring_Expedition) visited Tonga in 1840.[\[22\]](page/3/#ref-22 "note 22")[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1845, an ambitious young Tongan warrior, strategist, and orator named [Tāufaʻāhau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tāufaʻāhau) united Tonga into a kingdom.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") He held the chiefly title of [Tuʻi Kanokupolu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuʻi_Kanokupolu), but had been baptised by [Methodist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist) missionaries with the name Siaosi ("George") in 1831.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1875, with the help of missionary [Shirley Waldemar Baker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Waldemar_Baker), he declared Tonga a constitutional monarchy, formally adopted the Western royal style, emancipated the "serfs", enshrined a code of law, land tenure, and freedom of the press, and limited the power of the chiefs.[\[23\]](page/3/#ref-23 "note 23")[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Tonga became a [protected state](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Protectorate) under a Treaty of Friendship with Britain on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs unsuccessfully tried to oust the man who had succeeded Tāufaʻāhau as king.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") The treaty posted no higher permanent representative on Tonga than a British [consul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consul_%28representative%29) (1901–1970).[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Under British protection, Tonga maintained its sovereignty and remained the only Pacific nation to retain its monarchical government.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tongan monarchy has an uninterrupted succession of hereditary rulers from a single family.[\[24\]](page/3/#ref-24 "note 24")[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") The [1918 flu pandemic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic), brought to Tonga by a ship from New Zealand, killed 1,800 Tongans, a mortality rate of about 8%.[\[25\]](page/3/#ref-25 "note 25")[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The Treaty of Friendship and Tonga's protection status ended in 1970 under arrangements that had been established by Tonga's Queen [Salote Tupou III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salote_Tupou_III) before her death in 1965.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") Owing to its British ties, Tonga joined the [Commonwealth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations) in 1970 (atypically as a country that had its own monarch, rather than having the [United Kingdom's monarch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom), along with [Malaysia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia) [corpus](../Malaysia/ "in our corpus"), [Brunei](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunei) [corpus](../Brunei/ "in our corpus"), [Lesotho](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesotho) [corpus](../Lesotho/ "in our corpus"), and [Eswatini](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eswatini) [corpus](../Eswatini/ "in our corpus")).[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") Tonga became a member of the United Nations in September 1999.[\[26\]](page/3/#ref-26 "note 26")[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") While exposed to colonial pressures, Tonga has always governed itself, which makes it unique in the Pacific.[\[27\]](page/3/#ref-27 "note 27")[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") In January 2022, the [Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunga_Tonga–Hunga_Haʻapai) volcano, 65 km north of the main island of Tongatapu, [erupted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Hunga_Tonga–Hunga_Ha%27apai_eruption_and_tsunami), causing a [tsunami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami) which inundated parts of the archipelago, including the capital Nukualofa.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Comparable to the size of the [1883 eruption of Krakatoa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa), the Hunga volcano produced an atmospheric explosion never before documented in the modern geophysical record (not including [man-made explosions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_explosions)).[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") The eruption affected the kingdom heavily, cutting off most communications[\[28\]](page/3/#ref-28 "note 28") and killing four people in Tonga.[\[29\]](page/3/#ref-29 "note 29")[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") In [Peru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peru) [corpus](../Peru/ "in our corpus"), two women drowned due to abnormal tsunami waves.[\[30\]](page/3/#ref-30 "note 30")[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") It took around five weeks to repair a [submarine fiber optic cable](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_communications_cable) used in the [Tonga Cable System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonga_Cable_System) for internet and telephone connectivity.[\[31\]](page/3/#ref-31 "note 31")[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Geography Main article: [Geography of Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Tonga) Located in [Oceania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceania), Tonga is an [archipelago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelago) in the [South Pacific Ocean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Pacific_Ocean), directly south of Samoa and about two-thirds of the way from Hawaiʻi to New Zealand.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Its 171 islands, 45 of them inhabited,[\[1\]](page/3/#ref-1 "note 1") are divided into three main groups – Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu – and cover an 800 km-long north–south line.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") The largest island, [Tongatapu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongatapu), on which the capital city of [Nukuʻalofa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nukuʻalofa) [corpus](../Nukuʻalofa/ "in our corpus") is located, covers 257 km2.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") Geologically, the Tongan islands are of two types: most have a limestone base formed from uplifted coral formations; others consist of limestone overlaying a [volcanic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic) base.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Climate Tonga has a [tropical rainforest climate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforest_climate) ([Af](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Köppen_climate_classification)) with a distinct warm period (December–April), during which the temperatures rise above 32 °C, and a cooler period (May–November), with temperatures rarely rising above 27 °C. The temperature and rainfall range from 23 C and 1700 mm on Tongatapu in the south to 27 C and 2970 mm on the more northerly islands closer to the Equator.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") The average wettest period is around March, with on average 263 mm.[\[32\]](page/3/#ref-32 "note 32")[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") The average daily humidity is 80%.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") The highest temperature recorded in Tonga was 35 C on 11 February 1979 in Vava'u.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") The coldest temperature recorded in Tonga was 8.7 C on 8 September 1994 in Fua'amotu.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Temperatures of 15 C or lower are usually measured in the dry season and are more frequent in southern Tonga than in the northern islands.[\[33\]](page/3/#ref-33 "note 33")[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") The tropical cyclone season currently runs from 1 November to 30 April, though tropical cyclones can form and affect Tonga outside of the season.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the [WorldRiskReport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldRiskReport) 2021, Tonga ranks third among the countries with the highest disaster risk worldwide – mainly due to the country's exposure to multiple natural hazards.[\[34\]](page/3/#ref-34 "note 34")[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Ecology Tonga contains the [Tongan tropical moist forests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_tropical_moist_forests) terrestrial ecoregion.[\[35\]](page/3/#ref-35 "note 35")[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") In Tonga, dating back to Tongan legend, flying bats are considered sacred and are the property of the monarchy.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus, they are protected and cannot be harmed or hunted.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") As a result, [flying fox bats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteropus) have thrived in many of the islands of Tonga.[\[36\]](page/3/#ref-36 "note 36")[\[37\]](page/3/#ref-37 "note 37")[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") The [bird life of Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Tonga) includes a total of 73 species, of which two are endemic, the [Tongan whistler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_whistler) and the [Tongan megapode](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_megapode).[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") Five species have been introduced by humans, and eight are rare or accidental.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") Seven species are globally threatened.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Politics Main article: [Politics of Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Tonga) Tonga is a [constitutional monarchy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy).[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") It is the only extant indigenous monarchy in the Pacific islands (see also [Hawaiʻi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Kingdom)).[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") Reverence for the monarch replaces that held in earlier centuries for the sacred paramount chief, the Tuʻi Tonga.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Criticism of the monarch is held to be contrary to Tongan culture and etiquette.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") Tonga provides for its citizens a free and mandatory education for all, secondary education with only nominal fees, and foreign-funded scholarships for postsecondary education.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") The pro-democracy movement in Tonga promotes reforms, including better representation in the Parliament for the majority of commoners, and better accountability in matters of state.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") An overthrow of the monarchy is not part of the movement, and the institution of monarchy continues to hold popular support, even while reforms are advocated.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") Until recently, the governance issue was generally ignored by the leaders of other countries, but major aid donors and neighbours New Zealand and Australia are now expressing concerns about some Tongan government actions.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") Following the precedents of Queen Sālote and the counsel of numerous international advisors, the government of Tonga under King [Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tāufaʻāhau_Tupou_IV) (reigned 1965–2006) monetised the economy, internationalised the medical and education systems, and enabled access by commoners to increasing forms of material wealth (houses, cars, and other commodities), education, and overseas travel.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") Male [homosexuality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Tonga) is illegal in Tonga,[\[38\]](page/3/#ref-38 "note 38") with a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment,[\[39\]](page/3/#ref-39 "note 39") but the law is [not enforced](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unenforced_law).[\[40\]](page/3/#ref-40 "note 40")[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") Tongans have universal access to a national health care system.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Constitution of Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Tonga) protects land ownership; land cannot be sold to foreigners (although it may be leased).[\[41\]](page/3/#ref-41 "note 41")[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Political culture King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV and his government made some problematic economic decisions and were accused by democracy activists, including former prime minister [ʻAkilisi Pōhiva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ʻAkilisi_Pōhiva), of wasting millions of dollars on unwise investments.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") The problems have mostly been driven by attempts to increase national revenue through a variety of schemes – considering making Tonga a nuclear waste disposal site (an idea floated by the [Crown Prince](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tupou_V)),[\[42\]](page/3/#ref-42 "note 42") and selling Tongan Protected Persons Passports (which eventually forced Tonga to naturalise the purchasers, sparking ethnicity-based concerns within Tonga).[\[43\]](page/3/#ref-43 "note 43")[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Tonga/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Tonga/page/3/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Tonga/page/2/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)