Tonga

Government

Hereditary constitutional monarchy.

Geography

Situated east of the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific, Tonga (also called the Friendly Islands) consists of some 150 islands, of which 36 are inhabited. Most of the islands contain active volcanic craters; others are coral atolls.

Historical 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.

Government

Constitutional monarchy 

-  King George Tupou V 

-  Prime Minister Lord Tuʻivakanō

Area    

Total 748 km2 (186th) 289 sq mi

Population:     

-  2009 estimate 104,000[1] (195th)        

Currency

Paʻanga (TOP)