Coordinates: 8°31′15″S 179°11′55″E / 8.52083°S 179.19861°E
Tuvalu | |
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Motto: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvaluan) "Tuvalu for the Awmichty" | |
Anthem: [Tuvalu mo te Atua] error: {{lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (Tuvaluan) Tuvalu for the Awmichty | |
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Caipital | Funafuti 8°31′S 179°12′E / 8.517°S 179.200°E |
Offeecial leids | |
Ethnic groups |
|
Releegion | Christianity (Kirk o Tuvalu) |
Demonym(s) | Tuvaluan |
Govrenment | Non-partisan pairlamentar democracy unner constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Charles III |
Tofiga Vaevalu Falani | |
Feleti Teo | |
Legislatur | Pairlament |
Unthirldom | |
• frae the Unitit Kinrick | 1 October 1978 |
Aurie | |
• Total | 26 km2 (10 sq mi) (192nd) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
Population | |
• 2017 census | 10,645 (229t) |
• Density | 475.88/km2 (1,232.5/sq mi) (27t) |
GDP (PPP) | 2016 estimate |
• Total | $39 million[1] (226t) |
• Per capita | $3,566[1] (156t) |
GDP (nominal) | 2016 estimate |
• Tot | $32 million[1] (194th) |
• Per capita | $2,970[1] (118t) |
Currency | Tuvaluan dollar Australian dollar (AUD) |
Time zone | UTC+12 |
Drivin side | caur |
Cawin code | +688 |
ISO 3166 code | TV |
Internet TLD | .tv |
Tuvalu is a Polynesie island kintra locatit in the Paceefic Ocean, situatit in Oceania, aboot midwey atween Hawaii an Australie. It lees east-northeast o the Santa Cruz Islands (that belang tae the Solomon Islands), sootheast o Nauru, sooth o Kiribati, wast o Tokelau, northwast o Samoa an Wallis an Futuna, an north o Fiji. It comprises three reef islands an sax true atolls spreid oot atween the latitude o 5° tae 10° sooth an longitude o 176° tae 180°, wast o the Internaitional Date Line. Tuvalu haes a population o 10,640 (2012 census).[2][3] The tot laund aurie o the islands o Tuvalu is 26 square kilometre (10 sq mi).
The first indwallers o Tuvalu war Polynesians. The oreegins o the fowk o Tuvalu are addressed in the theories regairdin migration intae the Paceefic that begoud aboot 3000 years ago.[4] In pre-European-contact times thare wis frequent canoe voyagin atween the islands as Polynesian navigation skills are recognised tae hae alloued deliberate jurneys on dooble-huil sailin canoes or ootrigger canoes.[5] The paitern o settlement that is believed tae have occurred is that the Polynesies spreid oot frae Samoa an Tonga intae the Tuvaluan atolls, wi Tuvalu providin a steppin stane tae faur migration intae the Polynesie ootliers in Melanesie an Micronesie.[6][7][8]
In 1568, Spaingie navigator Álvaro de Mendaña wis the first European tae sail throu the airchipelago, sichtin the island o Nui in his expedeetion in sairch o Terra Australis. The island o Funafuti wis named Ellice's Island in 1819; the name Ellice wis applee'd tae aw o the nine islands efter the wark o Inglis hydrografer Alexander George Findlay. The Ellice Islands cam intae Great Breetain's sphere o influence in the late 19t century, as the result o a treaty atween Great Breetain an Germany relatin tae the demarcation o the spheres o influence in the Paceefic Ocean.[9] Ilk o the Ellice Islands wis declared a Breetish Protectorate bi Caiptain Gibson o HMS Curacoa atween 9 an 16 October 1892. The Ellice Islands war admeenistered as a Breetish pertectorate bi a Resident Commissioner frae 1892 tae 1916, as pairt o the Breetish Wastren Paceefic Territories (BWPT), an then as pairt o the Gilbert an Ellice Islands colony frae 1916 tae 1976.
A referendum wis held in December 1974 tae determine whether the Gilbert Islands an Ellice Islands shoud ilk hae thair awn admeenistration. As a consequence o the referendum, the Gilbert an Ellice Islands colony ceased tae exist on 1 Januar 1976, an the separate Breetish colonies o Kiribati an Tuvalu cam intae existence. Tuvalu becam fully independent within the Commonweel on 1 October 1978. On 5 September 2000, Tuvalu becam the 189t member o the Unitit Naitions.