Tuvalu

Tuvalu (in Tuvaluan, Tuvalu; in English, Tuvalu), called Islands Ellice until 1974, is an island country of Oceania integrated within Polynesia. Its capital is Funafuti.

Located in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 4000 km from Hawaii and Australia, its closest countries are Kiribati, Samoa and Fiji. It consists of 4 coral reefs and 5 atolls, with a total area of 26 km². After Vatican City (932 inhabitants) and before the Republic of Nauru (13,048 inhabitants) it is the independent nation with the smallest number population. It is also the member of the United Nations with the smallest number of inhabitants, since it has only 11,810.

It has a maximum altitude of 5 meters above sea level, being, after the Maldives (2 meters above sea level), the country with the lowest maximum altitude. It has a tropical maritime climate, moderated by trade winds from the east from March to November, the remaining months with abundant rainfall and the typical vegetation is composed of palm trees (coconut trees).

Etymology

The term Tuvalu comes from the local indigenous language, Tuvaluan, in which it means eight standing together, which symbolized the eight islands with permanent and stable population, until in 1949, the indigenous people populated the island of Niulakita.

History

Tuvaluan in traditional costume drawn by Alfred Agate in 1841 during the exploration of the United States

Prehistory

The origins of the Tuvaluan people are addressed in theories about migration to the Pacific that began around 3,000 years ago. In the days before contact with Europe, canoe trips between nearby islands such as Samoa and Tonga were frequent, and eight of Tuvalu's nine islands were inhabited. This explains the origin of the name, Tuvalu, meaning "eight together" in Tuvaluan (compare *walo meaning "eight" in Proto-Austronese). Possible indications of man-made fires in the Nanumanga caves suggest that humans may have occupied the islands for thousands of years.

An important creation myth in the islands of Tuvalu is the story of te Pusi mo te Ali (the eel and the flounder), who are said to have created the islands of Tuvalu. Te Ali (the flounder) is believed to be the origin of Tuvalu's flat atolls and te Pusin (the eel) is the model for the coconut palms that are important in Tuvaluan life. The stories of the ancestors of the Tuvaluans vary from island to island. On Niutao, Funafuti and Vaitupu, for example, the founding ancestor is described as originating from Samoa, while on Nanumea, the founding ancestor is described as originating from Tonga.

European Exploration

Tuvalu was sighted for the first time by Europeans on January 16, 1568, during the voyage of the Spaniard Álvaro de Mendaña, who passed through Nui and mapped it as Isla de Jesús because the day before it was the feast of the Holy Name. Mendaña made contact with the islanders but was unable to land.During Mendaña's second voyage across the Pacific, he passed Niulakita on August 29, 1595, which he named La Solitaria.

Captain John Byron passed through the islands of Tuvalu in 1764, during his circumnavigation of the globe as captain of the Dolphin (1751). He recorded the islands as Lagoon.

The first recorded sighting of Nanumea by Europeans was that of the Spanish naval officer Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa, who passed her on May 5, 1781 as captain of the frigate La Princesa, when he was trying to cross the Pacific south, from the Philippines to New Spain. He named it San Augustin. Keith S. Chambers and Doug Munro (1980) identified Niutao as the island that Mourelle also passed through on May 5, 1781, thus resolving what Europeans called El Mystery of the Gran Cocal. [Mourelle's map and journal called the island El Gran Cocal ("The Great Coconut Plantation"); however, the latitude and longitude were uncertain. Longitude could only be estimated at the time, as precise chronometers were not available until the late 18th century century.

In 1809, Captain Patterson, aboard the brig Elizabeth, sighted Nanumea while passing through northern Tuvaluan waters on a trade voyage from Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, to China. In May 1819, Arent Schuyler de Peyster, of New York, captain of the armed brig or privateer Rebecca, sailing under British colours, passed through the waters off southern Tuvalu. De Peyster sighted Nukufetau and Funafuti, which he named Ellice Island after an English politician, Edward Ellice, MP for Coventry and owner of the Rebecca cargo. applied to the nine islands after the work of the English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay.

In 1820, Russian explorer Mikhail Lazarev visited Nukufetau as commander of the Mirny. Louis Isidore Duperrey, captain of La Coquille, passed Nanumanga in May 1824 during a circumnavigation of the Earth (1822-1825). A Dutch expedition (the frigate Maria Reigersberg) found Nui on the morning of June 14, 1825, and named the main island (Fenua Tapu) Nederlandsch Eiland.

Whalers began to travel the Pacific, although they visited Tuvalu infrequently due to difficulties landing on the atolls. US Captain George Barrett, of the Nantucket whaler Independence II, has been identified as the first whaler to hunt in Tuvaluan waters. He bartered coconuts with the Nukulaelae in November 1821, and also visited Niulakita. He established a land camp on Nukufetau's Sakalua islet, where coal was used to melt blubber.

For less than a year, between 1862 and 1863, Peruvian ships engaged in the so-called 'blackbird' trade, by which they recruited or impressed workers, combed the smaller islands of Polynesia, from Easter Island in the eastern Pacific to Tuvalu and the southern atolls of the Gilbert Islands (present-day Kiribati). They were looking for recruits to cover the extreme labor shortage in Peru. Although some islanders were recruited voluntarily, the "mirlos" they were known for luring islanders onto ships with tricks, such as posing as Christian missionaries, as well as kidnapping islanders at gunpoint. The Reverend A. W. Murray, the first European missionary to Tuvalu, reported that in 1863 about 170 people were taken from Funafuti and about 250 from Nukulaelae, as fewer than 100 of the 300 recorded in 1861 lived in Nukulaelae.

Christianity arrived in Tuvalu in 1861, when Elekana, a deacon of a Congregational church in Manihiki, Cook Islands, was caught in a storm and drifted for eight weeks before landing at Nukulaelae on May 10, 1861. He was trained at Malua Theological College, a London Missionary Society (LMS) school in Samoa, before beginning his work to establish the Church of Tuvalu.

Woman of the Funafuti atoll, photographed by Harry Clifford Fassett in 1900.

In 1865, the Reverend A. W. Murray of the LMS, a Protestant Congregationalist missionary society, arrived as the first European missionary; he also evangelized among the Tuvaluans. By 1878 Protestantism was considered well established, as there were preachers on every island. Late 19th century and early XX, the ministers of what became the Church of Tuvalu (Te Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu) were predominantly Samoan, who influenced the development of the language and music of Tuvalu.

British Protectorate

In 1892, the islands became part of the British protectorate of Gilbert and Ellice (British Micro-Polynesia), this protectorate became a colony in 1915.

During World War II, United States Marines landed on Funafuti (Villaolivos) on October 2, 1942. By that time the Japanese had already occupied Tarawa and other islands in what is now Kiribati. A naval construction battalion ('Seabees') built a main airstrip on Funafuti and satellite airfields on Nanumea and Nukufetau. The runway built on Funafuti continues to be used today at the Funafuti International Airport. Civilian casualties during World War II were light. On one occasion in April 1943, during a Japanese bombing raid, 680 people took refuge in a church. Fortunately for them, an American soldier (Corporal Ladd) convinced them to leave and take refuge in the trenches.^{[citation needed]} Shortly after, a bomb destroyed the church. Tuvalu served as a support base for the offensives against the atolls of Makin and Tarawa.

In 1974, ethnic differences within the colony caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to decide to secede from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands (later Kiribati). The following year, the Ellice Islands became the British colony of Tuvalu.

Independence

Independence was granted in 1978.

Tuvalu signed a friendship treaty with the United States in 1979, recognizing Tuvalu's rightful possession of four small islands previously claimed by the United States.

Between 1995 and 1997, Tuvalu adopted a new flag but, eventually, the old Flag of Tuvalu was restored, which is the one it has today.

Tuvalu floods in 2017

According to the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, his country is threatened by climate change and they demand responsibility from the polluting countries and the UN, for which its inhabitants will have to decide urgently on two issues: whether to maintain the constitutional monarchy or turning Tuvalu into a republic, and whether to relocate its 11,810 people to New Zealand, as the islands are on constant alert due to cyclones and other weather events and are at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels. While some people have suggested relocation of the population from Tuvalu to Australia, New Zealand, or Kioa (Fiji), former Prime Minister Maatia Toafa said his government does not view sea level rise as a threat by which the entire population would have to be evacuated.

"We live in constant fear of the adverse impacts of climate change. For a coral atoll nation, sea level rise and more severe weather events loom as a growing threat to our entire population. The threat is real and serious, and is of no difference to a slow and insidious form of terrorism against us."

Tuvalu is the country that owns the famous internet.tv domain. ICANN has dealt with countries disappearing for political reasons before, although this time it could be for geographic reasons.

Government and politics

Tuvalu Government Building

Tuvalu is a constitutional monarchy belonging to the Commonwealth, in which King Charles III is officially recognized as King of Tuvalu. He is represented in Tuvalu by a Governor General, appointed on the nomination of the Prime Minister. The local parliament, or Fale I Fono has 15 members and is elected every four years. Its members elect a prime minister who is the head of government. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister. Each island has its own chief or Ulu-Aliki, and several sub-chiefs (Alikis) in addition to the elders. The elders together form a council of elders or fenua te sina (literally: 'grey-hairs'). In the past, another caste, namely the priests (tofuga) was also one of the decision makers. The sinas or fenuas, Aliki and Ulu-Aliki form the authority at the local level. The Ulu-Aliki is selected on the basis of their family ancestry, and their powers are shared with the pule or kaupule, which is a group made up of elected presidents, one in each atoll. There are no official political parties and electoral campaigns are largely on the basis of personal and family ties as well as reputation.

The Government of Tuvalu is represented in the United Kingdom by an honorary consul, based at Tuvalu House in London.

Justice

There are eight courts (one on each island), with limited jurisdiction. The highest court in Tuvalu is the High Court. Decisions of the High Court may be appealed to the Tuvalu Court of Appeal. A judgment of the Court of Appeal can only be appealed before 'the Queen (or King) in Council', that is, in the Privy Council in London.

Tuvalu does not have regular military forces, and does not spend money to have them. Its police force includes a Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and to carry out surveillance operations. The police have only one patrol boat, the "Pacific" (HMTSS Te Mataili), provided by Australia under the Pacific Ocean Fisheries and Maritime Surveillance Scheme.

Foreign Relations

Tuvalu has close relations with Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. It has diplomatic relations with the ROC (Taiwan), Taiwan maintains the only resident embassy in Tuvalu, and has a large assistance program on the islands. He also has good relations with the United States after signing a contract with them in which the United States recognizes as Tuvalu a group of islands that the two countries disputed.

Tuvalu became a member of the UN in 2000 and maintains a UN mission in New York. A major international priority for Tuvalu at the United Nations, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, and in other international fora is promoting concern about global warming and possible sea level rise. In Tuvalu they are advocates for the ratification and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. Tuvalu is also a member of the Asian Development Bank.

Tuvalu Consulate in London, United Kingdom

Tuvalu is a full member of the Pacific Islands Forum and the South Pacific Commission. Tuvalu has a home in London, UK that serves primarily as a consulate. Tuvalu declared its southern area a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific Treaty in 1985.

Tuvalu participates in the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), which is a coalition of low-lying small island and coastal countries concerned about their vulnerability to the adverse effects of global climate change. Under the Majuro Declaration, signed on September 5, 2013, Tuvalu has committed to implement 100% renewable energy generation (between 2013 and 2020), which it intends to carry out using photovoltaic solar energy (95% of demand) and biodiesel (5% of demand). The viability of wind power generation will be studied. Tuvalu participates in the operations of the Pacific Islands Applied Geosciences Commission (SOPAC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP).

Tuvalu is party to a friendship treaty with the United States, signed shortly after independence and ratified by the US Senate in 1983, under which the United States relinquished previous territorial claims to four islands of Tuvalu (Funafuti, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae and Niulakita) under the Guano Islands Act of 1856.

Tuvalu participates in the operations of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The Tuvaluan, US, and other Pacific Island governments are parties to the South Pacific Tuna Treaty (SPTT), which entered into force in 1988. Tuvalu is also a member of the Nauru Agreement, which addresses the Management of the tuna purse seine fishery in the tropical western Pacific. The United States and the Pacific Island countries have negotiated the Multilateral Fisheries Treaty (which encompasses the South Pacific Tuna Treaty) to confirm access for US tuna vessels to the Western and Central Pacific fisheries.

Tuvalu and the other members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the United States have reached a tuna fishing agreement by 2015; a longer-term agreement will be negotiated. The treaty is an extension of the Nauru Agreement and provides for US-flagged purse seine vessels to fish for 8,300 days in the region in exchange for a payment of US$90 million, from contributions from the tuna fishing industry and the US Government In 2015, Tuvalu refused to sell fishing days to certain nations and fleets that have blocked Tuvalu's efforts to develop and maintain its own fishery. In 2016, the Minister of Natural Resources drew attention to article 30 of the WCPF Convention, which outlines the collective obligation of members to consider the disproportionate burden that management measures could place on small island developing states.

In July 2013, Tuvalu signed the Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Pacific Regional Trade and Development Facility, which originated in 2006, in the context of negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the States Pacific ACP and the European Union. The reason for the Facility's creation is to improve the delivery of aid to Pacific Island countries in support of Aid for Trade (AfT) requirements. The Pacific ACP States are the Pacific countries signatories to the Cotonou Agreement with the European Union. The first enhanced high-level political dialogue between Tuvalu and the European Union under the Cotonou Agreement was held in Funafuti on 31 May 2017.

On February 18, 2016, Tuvalu signed the Pacific Island Development Forum Charter and formally joined the Pacific Island Development Forum (FIDP). In June 2017, Tuvalu signed the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER).

Tuvalu Honor Guard Police in 2017

Defense

Tuvalu has no regular military and spends no money on the military. Its national police force, the Tuvalu Police Force, based in Funafuti, includes a maritime surveillance unit, customs, prisons and immigration. Police officers wear British-style uniforms.

From 1994 to 2019, Tuvalu policed its 200-kilometre exclusive economic zone with the Pacific-class patrol vessel HMTSS Te Mataili, provided by Australia. In 2019, Australia donated a Guardian-class patrol vessel as a replacement. Christened HMTSS Te Mataili II, is intended for maritime surveillance, fisheries patrol, and search and rescue missions.("HMTSS" stands for His/Her Majesty's Tuvaluan State Ship or His/ Her Majesty's Tuvalu Surveillance Ship).

Crime in Tuvalu is not a significant social problem due to an effective criminal justice system, also due to the influence of the Falekaupule (the traditional assembly of elders of each island) and the central role of religious institutions in the tuvaluan community.

Human rights

In terms of human rights, regarding membership of the seven bodies of the International Bill of Human Rights, which include the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Tuvalu has signed or ratified:

Status of major international human rights instruments

Tuvalu	International treaties
	CESCR		CCPR			CERD	CED	CEDAW		CAT		CRC			MWC	CRPD
	CESCR	CESCR-OP	CCPR	CCPR-OP1	CCPR-OP2-DP			CEDAW	CEDAW-OP	CAT	CAT-OP	CRC	CRC-OP-AC	CRC-OP-SC		CRPD	CRPD-OP
Pertenence
Signed and ratified, signed, but not ratified, neither signed nor ratified, without information, it has agreed to sign and ratify the body concerned, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications from the competent bodies.

Male homosexuality is illegal in Tuvalu.

Territorial organization

Map of Tuvalu

Tuvalu's small population is spread over 9 islands, 6 of which are atolls. The smaller island, Niulakita, was uninhabited until 1949, when people moved from Niutao.

Geography

It is one of the smallest countries in the world, in fact, the fourth smallest, only surpassed by Vatican City (0.44 km²); Monaco (1.95 km²) and Nauru (21 km²). Tuvalu also has very poor land. There is no potable water, and the land is barely usable for agriculture.

Atoll of Nanumea

Although Tuvalu technically doesn't have any administrative subdivisions—its population is too small (estimated at 11,000 in 2004)—the country can be divided into 9 islands, or rather atolls, halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Originally only eight of these islands were inhabited, hence the name Tuvalu meaning "eight islands" in Tuvaluan language. The nine islands are: Fongafale, Nanumea, Nanumanga, Niutao, Nui, Niulakita, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae and Vaitupu.

In 2001 the Tuvalu government announced that the islands, of which the highest point is 5 masl, would have to be evacuated in case of rising sea levels. In effect, the rise in the ocean level that has been occurring due to global warming, although it is still barely perceptible in other countries, is evident in Tuvalu due to its very low altitude and the meager territory, so that during high tides accompanied by storms much of the country is submerged.

New Zealand has agreed to receive an annual contingent of 75 evacuees, while Australia has rejected the requests.

Climate

Tuvalu experiences two distinct seasons, one wet from November to April and the other dry from May to October. Westerly gales and heavy rains are the prevailing weather conditions from October to March, a period known as Tau-o-lalo, and tropical temperatures are moderated by easterly winds from April to November.

Tuvalu experiences El Niño and La Niña effects, caused by changes in ocean temperatures in the equatorial and central Pacific. El Niño effects increase the chances of tropical storms and cyclones, while La Niña effects increase the chances of drought. Typically, the islands of Tuvalu receive between 200 and 400 mm of rainfall per month. The central Pacific Ocean experiences changes from La Niña periods to El Niño periods.

Island of Fongafale

Cyclones

Due to their low elevation, the islands that make up this nation are vulnerable to the effects of tropical cyclones and the threat of current and future rise in sea level. In 2016, a warning system was introduced, which uses the Iridium satellite network, so that the outer islands are better prepared for natural disasters.

The highest elevation is 15 feet (4.6 meters) above sea level at Niulakita, making Tuvalu the second lowest maximum elevation of any country (after the Maldives). The highest elevations are typically found in the narrow dunes on the oceanic side of the islands, which are prone to flooding in tropical cyclones, as was the case with Cyclone Bebe, an early-season storm that passed the Tuvalu atolls in October. The 1972 Cyclone Bebe submerged Funafuti, removing 90% of the island's structures. Drinking water sources were contaminated as a result of storm surge from the system and flooding of fresh water sources.

George Westbrook, a Funafuti trader, recorded a cyclone that struck Funafuti on December 23 and 24, 1883. A cyclone struck Nukulaelae on March 17 and 18, 1886. A cyclone caused extensive damage to the islands in 1894.

Tuvalu experienced an average of three cyclones per decade between the 1940s and 1970s; however, in the 1980s eight were produced. The impact of each cyclone is subject to variables such as the strength of the winds and also whether a cyclone coincides with high tides. The Tepuka Vili Vili islet of Funafuti was devastated by Cyclone Meli in 1979, washing away all its vegetation and most of its sand. Along with a tropical depression that affected the islands a few days later, severe tropical cyclone Ofa had a major impact on Tuvalu, with most islands reporting damage to vegetation and crops. Cyclone Gavin was identified by the first time on March 2, 1997, and was the first of three tropical cyclones to affect Tuvalu during the 1996-97 cyclone season, with cyclones Hina and Keli following later in the season.

Tuvalu Meteorology Service

In March 2015, the winds and storm surge created by Cyclone Pam caused waves 3 to 5 meters high to break over the reef of the outer islands, damaging houses, crops and infrastructure. A state of emergency was declared. On Nui, freshwater sources were destroyed or contaminated. The flooding on Nui and Nukufetau caused many families to take refuge in evacuation centers or with other families. Nui suffered the most damage out of the three central islands (Nui, Nukufetau and Vaitupu), both Nui and Nukufetau suffered the loss of 90 % Of crops. [Of the three northern islands (Nanumanga, Niutao and Nanumea), Nanumanga suffered the most damage, with between 60 and 100 houses inundated, and the waves also caused damage to the health center, Vasafua Islet, which is part of of the Funafuti conservation area, was severely damaged by Cyclone Pam. Coconut trees were washed away, leaving the islet a sand bar.

The Government of Tuvalu assessed the damage caused by Cyclone Pam to the islands and provided medical aid, food and assistance in cleaning up the storm's debris. Government and non-governmental organizations provided technical, financial and material assistance to Tuvalu to aid recovery, including WHO, UNICEF EAPRO, UNDP Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme, OCHA, Bank World Cup, DFAT, New Zealand Red Cross and IFRC, Fiji National University, and the governments of New Zealand, the Netherlands, the UAE, Taiwan, and the United States.

Geology

Tuvalu is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea and north of New Zealand. The surrounding islands are the Solomon Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Tokelau, Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, and Vanuatu.

Tuvalu is the fourth smallest state in the world. Funafuti, Nanumea, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae and Vaitupu are atolls, ring-shaped coral reefs with partly minute reef islands enclosing a lagoon, the area of which, except for Vaitupu, is considerably larger than the land area respective. Nanumea even has a freshwater pond, which is extremely rare for atolls. Vaitupu has two lagoons that are almost completely surrounded by land and are only connected to the sea by narrow channels. The other islands Nanumanga, Niutao and Niulakita are also atolls, but with smaller and closed lagoons, that is, pure inland waters with no connection to the sea.

The islands are only five meters above sea level at their highest point. As the sea level is rising due to global warming, it was feared that the islands would be flooded in the near future. Initially, about 300 people a year had to emigrate (about 4,000 Tuvaluans already live in New Zealand). New Zealand and Australia rejected it. However, in 2014, for the first time, the New Zealand Immigration Court considered the impact of climate change in a case in which a family of four from Tuvalu was granted asylum.

Partial view of Funafuti

In early 2006, Don Kennedy, a scientist originally from Tuvalu, proposed that in the future the population would resettle en masse on the island of Kioa in Fiji. The associated costs should be borne by industrialized countries as polluters of global warming: "If the culture of our island nation is to live on, the 9,000 Tuvaluans must move to Kioa together".

The then Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Maatia Toafa, as well as all Tuvaluan political groups, criticized this proposal. The evacuation, he said, is currently a low-priority project, as no subsidence is expected in the next 30 years. In addition, Toafa prefers land acquisition in New Zealand or Australia over resettlement on an island without adequate infrastructure.

According to analyzes of current satellite imagery, islands or associated coral reefs have increased in size over the past 60 years. According to this, sea level rise is currently more than offset by alluvial deposits and sedimentation, although some beaches are used as sand pits to augment road and building construction. However, it is not known whether the sedimentation rate will be able to keep up with the accelerated rise in sea level, from 18 to 59 cm, based on the 2007 forecast for the year 2100. Furthermore, the shape of the islands is changing; while in some places ground is lost, in others the islands are growing. According to Naomi Biribo, this is a major challenge. Measures are also needed to counter flooding caused by tidal waves and hurricanes.

Water and sanitation

Rainwater harvesting is the main source of fresh water in Tuvalu. Nukufetau, Vaitupu and Nanumea are the only islands with sustainable groundwater supplies. The effectiveness of rainwater collection decreases due to poor maintenance of roofs, gutters and pipes. Aid programs from Australia and the European Union have been directed at improving storage capacity on Funafuti and the outer islands.

Reverse osmosis (R/O) desalination units complement rainwater harvesting on Funafuti. The 65 m³ desalination plant works with an actual production of about 40 m³ per day. I/O water production is only planned when storage falls below 30%, but demand to replenish domestic storage supplies with water delivered by tanker trucks causes I/O desalination units to run continuously. Water is supplied at a cost of A$3.50 per cubic metre. The cost of production and delivery has been estimated at A$6 per cubic metre, with the difference being subsidized by the government.

In July 2012, a United Nations Special Rapporteur called on the Government of Tuvalu to develop a national water strategy to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation. In 2012, Tuvalu developed a National Water Resources Policy under the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Project and the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Project, sponsored by the Global Environment Facility/SOPAC.. Government water planning has set a goal of between 50 and 100 liters of water per person per day, for drinking water, cleaning, and community and cultural activities.

Tuvalu is working with the South Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission (SOPAC) to implement composting toilets and improve sludge treatment from Fongafale septic tanks, as the septic tanks leak into the freshwater lens of the subsoil of the atoll, as well as in the ocean and the lagoon. Composting toilets reduce water use by up to 30%

Flora and fauna

A beach of Funafuti on a partially sunny day.

The vegetation of Tuvalu consists mainly of coconut palms and scrub palms. One-third of the land area is covered by forests. The only naturally occurring terrestrial mammal in Tuvalu is the Polynesian rat, while the Humpback whales and dolphins live in the marine areas. The country has several species of reptiles, such as geckos, hamsters, sea turtles, and several species of venomous sea snakes. 40 species of birds have been recorded in the country, of which nine marine and four terrestrial breed on the islands, in addition to those that migrate some waders. The most common land birds are the Pacific chickadee and long-tailed koel, while the red-footed owl, white-winged tropicbird, terns and noddies are among the most common seabirds.

Economy

Tuvalu's gross domestic product is USD 36 million (based on 2012 estimates), giving an average income of USD 3,048 per capita.^{[citation needed]}

The Tuvaluan dollar has the same value as the Australian dollar, which also circulates on the islands (in 2010, 1.1208 Australian dollars equaled one US dollar). Tuvalu's economy is the least dynamic of any independent state in the world, being based on subsistence agriculture; pig and poultry farming; fishing is growing in importance, although the only export is copra (coconut pith used to extract oil). Much of the state revenue is obtained from the sale of stamps and coins; Foreign investment and the income sent by emigrants working abroad underpin the country's economy.^{[citation required]}

This received a very important injection in 2000, after the assignment of its domain (.tv, which had been granted a year earlier by the International Telecommunications Union), to an American company in exchange for 50 million dollars in 12 years. The Government of Tuvalu receives a million dollars every 3 months and owns 20% of the company that manages the.tv domain.^{[citation required]}

The issuance of postage stamps, mainly for philatelic collecting, is also an important source of income for its economy.^{[citation required]}.

Tuvalu allegedly participated in Japan's vote buying in the International Whaling Commission regime in 2006. Greenpeace maintains that vote buying took place and Tuvalu is one of the countries to receive economic assistance from Japan in 2006 argues no.

Public Sector

The government is the main provider of medical services through the Princess Margaret Hospital on Funafuti, which runs health clinics on the other islands. Banking services are provided by the National Bank of Tuvalu. Public sector workers represent around 65% of formal employees. Remittances from Tuvaluans living in Australia and New Zealand and from seamen employed on overseas ships are important sources of income for Tuvaluans. Approximately 15% of adult men work as seamen on foreign-flagged merchant ships. Agriculture in Tuvalu centers on coconut palms and pulaka cultivation in large pits of composted soil below the water table. Tuvaluans otherwise engage in traditional subsistence farming and fishing.

The Tuvalu Trust Fund was created in 1987 by the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The value of the Tuvalu Trust Fund is approximately $100 million. Financial support for Tuvalu is also provided by Japan, South Korea and the European Union. Australia and New Zealand continue to contribute capital to the Tuvalu Trust Fund and provide other forms of development assistance.

Tuvaluan currencies

Fishing

Tuvaluans are known for their seafaring skills. The Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute, located on Amatuku motu (island), Funafuti, trains about 120 sea cadets each year to acquire the skills necessary to work as seamen in the merchant navy. The Tuvalu Overseas Seamen's Union (TOSU) is the only registered union in Tuvalu. It represents the workers of foreign ships. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that 800 Tuvaluan men are trained, certified and active as seafarers. The ADB estimates that, at any given time, around 15% of the adult male population works abroad as seafarers. There are also job opportunities as observers on tuna boats, whose role is to monitor compliance with the fishing license. of tuna from the boat.

The government's revenue comes largely from the sale of fishing licences, income from the Tuvalu Trust Fund, and rental of its Internet top-level domain ".tv".

Currency

The currency of Tuvalu is the Tuvaluan dollar, currently 1 Tuvalu dollar equals 1.07 New Zealand dollars (2020). There is only one bank in Tuvalu, which is located in the country's capital Funafuti. In Tuvalu you can only pay in cash, they do not accept credit cards and currencies must be exchanged at the Bank of Tuvalu.

Stamps

On January 1, 1976, Tuvalu began printing its own stamps. On Funafuti there is a Post Office for you to support your own stamps, representing the island or important moments in national history, dances or traditional costumes. There is a joint Philatelic Society with Kiribati (formerly the Ellice Islands).

Tuvalu Telecom Office

Controversy over the name.tv

The name.tv is used as its own by Tuvalu after buying the rights. Previously, it was allowed to be used by all companies in any country as long as they provided a contribution to the Tuvalu government.

The problem is that this name is very popular since in many languages "tv" is the abbreviation for television, having this name is not only interesting for television, but also for pornographic sites.

In the year 2000 the management of this denomination was sold by the government of Tuvalu to the company dotTV, a subsidiary of VeriSign, for 12 years in exchange for 50 million US dollars. This sale has brought great income to the micro-state, which was, before the sale of the property, one of the poorest countries in the world. The Government of Tuvalu currently owns a 20% stake in the DotTv company.

The unexpected income generated by the sale is a subject of controversy in the country. Part of the local population protested against this practice, because many sites with that name are pornography sites. For the majority of the Christian population, this money is considered unclean.

Despite the controversy, the money has helped improve road infrastructure and thus provide the country with highways.

Every year Tuvalu receives US$5 million from the agreement, which expires in 2021, and the Tuvaluan government is hoping to receive more money from the new contract, as it represents about 10% of its economy.

Tourism

Due to the remoteness of the country, tourism is not significant. Visitors numbered 1,684 in 2010: 65% were on business, development officials or technical consultants, 20% were tourists (360 people), and 11% were expatriates returning to visit family. In 2016, the number of visitors had risen to 2,000.

Hotel Vaiaku Lagi

The main island of Funafuti is the focus of travellers, as Tuvalu's only airport is Funafuti International Airport and Funafuti is the only island with hotel facilities. However, there are no tour guides., tour operators or organized activities and do not visit cruise ships. Ecotourism is a motivation for travelers to Tuvalu. The Funafuti conservation area consists of 12.74 square miles (33.00 square kilometers) of ocean, reef, lagoon, channel, and six uninhabited islets.

The outer atolls can be visited on the two passenger cargo ships, the Nivaga III and the Manú Folau, which offer roundtrip tours to the outer islands every three to four weeks. On many of the outer islands there is guest house accommodation.

Join the IMF

Tuvalu joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on June 24, 2010 The Tuvalu PMI Report 2010 estimates that Tuvalu experienced zero GDP growth in 2010, after the economy contracted around 2% in 2009. On August 5, 2012, the IMF Executive Board concluded the Article IV consultation with Tuvalu, and assessed the Tuvaluan economy: "A slow recovery is underway in Tuvalu, but there are risks important. GDP grew in 2011 for the first time since the global financial crisis, led by the private retail sector and education spending. We expect growth to pick up slowly" The 2014 IMF Country Report noted that real GDP growth in Tuvalu had been volatile, averaging just 1% over the past decade. The 2014 Country Report describes economic growth prospects as generally positive as a result of large revenues from fishing licences, coupled with significant foreign aid.

On August 4, 2021, the IMF Executive Board concluded the Article IV consultation with Tuvalu, assessing that Tuvalu's economy had grown by 1% in 2020, compared to 13.9% in 2019, with a 1. The IMF report concluded that the inflow of COVID-19 related subsidies and high tuna license fees had enabled the Tuvalu government to maintain public spending in the 2020-2021 budget. IMF expects Tuvalu's GDP to increase by 2.5% in 2021 and 3.5% in 2022; inflation is projected to rise to 2.2% in 2021 and 2.4% in 2022.

Foreign Aid

The US government is also an important source of revenue for Tuvalu. In 1999, the South Pacific Tuna Treaty (SPTT) payout was about $9 million, and its value increased in subsequent years. In May 2013, representatives of the United States and the Pacific Island countries agreed to sign interim agreement documents to extend the Multilateral Fisheries Agreement (which encompasses the South Pacific Tuna Treaty) for 18 months.

The United Nations designates Tuvalu as a Least Developed Country (LDC) due to its limited economic development potential, lack of exploitable resources, and its small size and vulnerability to external economic and environmental shocks. Tuvalu participates in the Enhanced Integrated Framework Trade-Related Technical Assistance for the Least Developed Countries (TIM), established in October 1997 under the auspices of the World Trade Organization.

Spring on a beach of the Funafuti atoll.

In 2013, Tuvalu deferred its graduation from least developed country (LDC) to developing country until 2015. Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga stated that this deferral was necessary to maintain Tuvalu's access to funds under the Program National Adaptation Action Plan (NAPA) from the United Nations, as "once Tuvalu graduates as a developed country, it will not be considered for aid funding climate change adaptation programs such as the NAP, which is only for LDCs". Tuvalu had met the targets to cease to be an LDC. Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga wants the United Nations to reconsider its LDC status criteria, as insufficient importance is given to the environmental situation of small island states like Tuvalu in the application of the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI)..

Infrastructure

Funafuti International Airport

Transportation

Transportation services in Tuvalu are limited. A ferry communicates the main atolls. In addition there are about 8 kilometers of highways, but it does not have railways.

Funafuti is the major port although there is also a deep-water berth in the port at Nukufetau. Since 1999, the merchant marine fleet has been made up of four ships of 1,000 gross registered tons or more, which can transport a total of 33,199 metric tons of weight together. This includes two cargo ships and one passenger transport ship. The streets of Funafuti have been paved since 2002. Other less important streets are unpaved. Tuvalu is one of the few countries in the world without railways.

In 2015, the government of Japan donated the Nivaga III, which replaced the Nivaga II, which had been in service in Tuvalu since 1989.

In 2020, the Tuvalu government purchased a landing craft, intended for the transport of dangerous goods and construction material from the capital to the outer islands. The barge received the name Moeiteava. The Government of Taiwan provided financial assistance.

The Tuvalu Department of Fisheries operates two vessels to carry out its activities within the Tuvalu Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the outer islands. They are the Manaui, 18 meters, and the Talamoana, 32 meters. Vessels are used for fisheries research, FAD deployment, visiting outer islands for monitoring and consultation, including implementation of Tuvalu's National Adaptation Action Program (NAPA). to deal with climate change. The Manaui was purchased through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1989 and is nearing the end of its useful life. In 2015, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) provided assistance in acquiring the Talamoana; which is also used for Control and Surveillance (MCS) patrols.

Main road in Funafuti

Tuvalu's only international airport is Funafuti International Airport. It is a paved track. Fiji Airways, which owns Fiji Airlines (doing business as Fiji Link), operates services three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) between Suva (originating in Nadi) and Funafuti with the ATR 72-600, a 68-seater aircraft.. Air Kiribati offers a weekly flight to Funafuti from Tarawa on a Wednesday. The service uses a 100-series Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft, with seating for 35 passengers. In 2021, the Tuvalu government plans to introduce domestic air services to the outer islands. The project involves the construction of the runways after concluding the lease contracts for the land and the payment of compensation to the owners. On Nanumea, the population agreed to use the airfield built during World War II by the US Marines.

Telecommunications and media

The Tuvalu Government Department of Mass Media manages Radio Tuvalu, which broadcasts from Funafuti. In 2011, the Japanese government provided financial assistance to build a new AM broadcast studio. Installation of upgraded broadcasting equipment allows Radio Tuvalu to be heard on all nine islands of Tuvalu. The new AM radio transmitter on Funafuti replaced FM radio service to the outer islands and freed up satellite bandwidth for mobile services. Fenui - Tuvalu News is a free digital publication of the Department of Communications Media of Tuvalu which is emailed to subscribers and runs a Facebook page, where news about government activities and news about events in Tuvalu are posted.

On September 28, 2020, the first private newspaper operating in the country was launched: Tuvalu Paradise News. The CEO and owner of KMT News Corporation (the publisher) and publisher of the print newspaper and website, is Reverend Dr. Kitiona Tausi.

The Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC), a state-owned company, provides fixed-line telephone communications to subscribers on each island, mobile phone services on Funafuti, Vaitupu and Nukulaelae, and is the distributor of Fiji's television service (Sky Pacific satellite television service).

Communications in Tuvalu depend on satellite dishes for telephone and Internet access. The available bandwidth is only 512 kbit/s uplink and 1.5 Mbit/s downlink. Across Tuvalu there are more than 900 subscribers wanting to use the satellite service, and demand slows down the speed of the system.

Demographics

Turkish dancer at the Pasifika Festival in Auckland.

The population at the 2002 census was 9,561, and the population at the 2017 census was 10,645. The most recent 2020 assessment puts the population at 11,342. Tuvalu's population is primarily ethnic Polynesian, and about 5.6% of the population are Gilbertese-speaking Micronesians, especially in Nui.

Life expectancy for women in Tuvalu is 70.2 years and 65.6 years for men (2018 est.) The country's population growth rate is 0.86% (est. 2018). The net migration rate is estimated at -6.6 migrant(s)/1,000 inhabitants (2018 est.). The threat of global warming in Tuvalu is not yet a dominant motivation for migration, as Tuvaluans seem to prefer to continue living on the islands for reasons of lifestyle, culture, and identity.

Between 1947 and 1983, a number of Tuvaluans from Vaitupu immigrated to Kioa, an island off Fiji. Colonists from Tuvalu obtained Fijian citizenship in 2005. In recent years, New Zealand and Australia have been the main destinations for migration or seasonal work.

In 2014, attention was drawn to an appeal filed with the New Zealand Immigration and Protection Tribunal against the deportation of a family from Tuvalu on the grounds that they were "climate change refugees", who would suffer difficulties stemming from Tuvalu's environmental degradation. However, the subsequent granting of residence permits to the family was made for reasons unrelated to the refugee claim. The family was successful in their appeal because, under the relevant immigration law, there were "exceptional circumstances of a humanitarian nature" which justified the granting of residence permits, as the family was integrated into New Zealand society with a sizeable extended family having effectively relocated to New Zealand.

In fact, in 2013, the New Zealand High Court found that a Kiribati man's claim to be a "climate change refugee" under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) was untenable as there was no persecution or serious harm related to any of the five grounds set out in the Refugee Convention. Permanent migration to Australia and New Zealand, for example for family reunification, it requires compliance with the immigration laws of those countries.

New Zealand has an annual quota of 75 Tuvaluans to whom it grants work permits under the Pacific Access Category, as announced in 2001. Applicants are entered on Pacific Access Category ballots (PAC); the primary criteria is that the primary applicant must have a job offer from a New Zealand employer. Tuvaluans also have access to seasonal employment in the horticulture and viticulture industries in New Zealand under the Seasonal Employers Work Policy (CSR) introduced in 2007, which allows for the employment of up to 5,000 workers from Tuvalu and other Pacific islands.

Poster written in Tuvaluano

Tuvaluans can participate in Australia's Pacific Seasonal Worker Program, which enables Pacific Islanders to obtain seasonal employment in the Australian agricultural industry, particularly on cotton and sugarcane farms; in the fishing industry, particularly in aquaculture; and with accommodation providers in the tourism industry.

Languages

The Tuvaluan language and English are the national languages of Tuvalu. Tuvaluan belongs to the Elicean group of Polynesian languages, distantly related to all other Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian, Maori, Tahitian, Rapanui, Samoan, and Tongan. The Tuvaluan language has borrowed from Samoan, as a consequence that Christian missionaries of the late 19th century and early XX were predominantly Samoan.

The Tuvaluan language is spoken by almost everyone in the country, while Nui speaks a language very similar to Gilbertese. English is also an official language, but it is not spoken on a daily basis. Parliament and the government work with the Tuvaluan language.

There are about 13,000 Tuvaluan speakers worldwide. Radio Tuvalu broadcasts programs in Tuvaluan.

Secondary Fetuvalu

Education

Education in Tuvalu is free and compulsory between the ages of 6 and 15. Each island has a primary school. For secondary education there is the Motufoua Secondary School which is located in Vaitupu. Students travel to school during the school year and return to their home islands during their school holidays. Fetuvalu High School, a Church of Tuvalu operated school, is located on Funafuti.

The adult literacy rate is 99.0% (2002). In 2010, there were 1,918 students taught by 109 teachers (98 certified and 11 non-certified). The teacher-student ratio in primary schools in Tuvalu is around 1:18 for all schools, with the exception of Nauti School, which has a teacher-student ratio of 1:27. Nauti School on Funafuti is the largest primary school in Tuvalu, serving over 900 students (45% of total primary education enrollment). The student-teacher ratio in Tuvalu is low compared to the Pacific region (where it is 1:29).

Community Training Centers (CTCs) have been established in primary schools on each atoll. The CTCs provide professional training to students who do not pass the eighth grade because they have not met the requirements for access to secondary education. CTCs offer training in basic carpentry, gardening and farming, sewing, and cooking. Upon completion of their training, graduates can continue their studies at Motufoua Secondary School or the Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute (TMTI). Adults can also attend courses at the CTC.

The Tuvaluan Employment Ordinance of 1966 sets the minimum age for paid employment at 14 and prohibits children under the age of 15 from hazardous work.

Religion

A church in Tuvalu

The Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu, which is part of the Christian Reformed tradition, is the state church of Tuvalu; although in practice this only gives it the right or "privilege to hold special services at major events nationals". Its faithful represent around 97% of the 10,837 (2012 census) inhabitants of the archipelago. The Constitution of Tuvalu guarantees freedom of religion, including the freedom to practice, the freedom to change religion, the right not to receive religious instruction at school or attend religious ceremonies at school, and the right to " not take an oath or make a statement that is contrary to their religion or belief".

Other Christian groups include the Catholic Church, served by Funafuti's Mission Sui Iuris, and Seventh-day Adventists, who account for 2.8% of the population. According to their own estimates, the Church of the Brothers Tuvalu has about 500 members (ie 4.5% of the population).

The Baháʼí Faith is the largest minority religion and the largest non-Christian religion in Tuvalu. It constitutes 2.0% of the population. Baháʼís are in the majority on the Nanumea Island of Tuvalu. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community consists of about 50 members (0.4% of the population).

The introduction of Christianity ended the worship of ancestral spirits and other deities (animism), along with the power of the vaka-atua (the priests of the old religions). Laumua Kofe describes cult objects as varying from island to island, although ancestor worship was described by Reverend D.J. Whitmee in 1870 as common practice.

Culture

Heritage

Construction of a canoe in Nanumea.

The traditional community system still largely survives in Tuvalu. Each family has its own task, or salanga to carry out for the community, such as fishing, building houses or defending. The skills of a family are passed down from father to son.

Most of the islands have their own Futi, or government-owned shops. These stores are similar to a convenience store where you can buy canned or packaged foods and where the merchandise is more affordable due to government subsidies.

Another important component is the falekaupule or town hall, where important issues are discussed and used for certain events.

Gastronomy

Traditional foods that are eaten in Tuvalu are: pulaka, shellfish which usually include crabs, turtles, and some fish, bananas with bread, coconut, and pork. The Pulaka (a root sometimes also called taro) is the main source of carbohydrates, grown in large pits below the water table on natural soil compost. Fish is the main source of protein. Bread and plantains are supplementary dishes. Lastly, coconut is used for its juices in beverages and foods to make them more palatable. Pork is usually eaten with fateles (or parts of the dance to celebrate certain events).

Music

Traditional music before European contact includes poems performed in a kind of monotone recitation, although this tradition has died out, as well as work songs performed by women to encourage men while they worked.

The most famous style of dance music from Tuvalu, fatele, is influenced by melodies and harmony. A competition is held dividing each island into two parts or teams (called feitu's). The Feitus exist only when dancing the fatele (which is carried out as a competition), but not for other activities.

The two main traditional dances in Tuvalu are fakanu and fakaseasea. Of these, the fakanu has disappeared, although the fakaseasea, made only by older people, survives.

Flag

Tuvalu Islands on the flag.

The current flag of Tuvalu was created when the nation seceded from Kiribati in 1978. Like many former and current British dependencies, the Tuvaluan flag is based on the "Union Jack" that appears in the upper left corner of the canton. When it was united with the Gilbert Islands into a single colony, the flag was the "Union Jack" with the arms, now adopted by Kiribati.

The stars represent the 9 islands that make up Tuvalu including those where there is no human or animal life. In 1995 the flag was replaced after a change of government, this flag was not based on the British flag, and also showed the islands as stars. This pavilion, however, was not highly appreciated by the inhabitants, and the old pavilion was restored in 1997, with some minor modifications.

Parties

Sports

Tuvalu Soccer Selection in 2011.

A traditional sport played in Tuvalu is kilikiti, which is similar to cricket. Another popular sport specific to Tuvalu is ano, played with 2 round balls 12 cm in diameter.

The practice of sports such as soccer and cycling is more common. Tuvalu has a national football team, organized by the Tuvalu National Football Association, a member of OFC but not of FIFA. There are three soccer divisions, Division-A, B and C, making it the smallest country in the world with a national soccer league. The Christmas Cup, NBT, Independence and Tuvalu Games are also organized during the league break. The most winning club is Nauti FC, which has 7 titles in Division-A, 2 in the NBT Cup and 4 in Independence.

Tuvalu first participated in the Olympic Games in 2008, in Beijing, China, sending three competitors in two sports.

A major sporting event is the "Independence Day Sports Festival," held annually on October 1st. The biggest sporting event in the country is undoubtedly the Tuvalu Games, which have been held annually since 2008. Tuvalu first participated in the Pacific Games in 1978 and the Commonwealth Games in 1998, when a weightlifter attended. to the games held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). [Two table tennis players participated in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England; Tuvalu fielded competitors in shooting, table tennis and weightlifting at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia; three athletes participated in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, in the discus, shot put and weightlifting events; and a team of three weightlifters and two table tennis players attended the Commonwealth Games in 2014 in Glasgow. Tuvaluan athletes have also participated in the men's and women's 100 meter dash at the World Championships in Athletics since 2009.

The Tuvalu National Olympic Committee and Sports Association (TASNOC) was recognized as a National Olympic Committee in July 2007. Tuvalu participated for the first time in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China with a weightlifter and two athletes in the men's and women's 100 meter dash. A team with athletes in the same events represented Tuvalu at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Etimoni Timuani was Tuvalu's only representative at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 100m event. Karalo Maibuca and Matie Stanley they represented Tuvalu at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 100 meter events.