Geography

Physical geography

Tuvalu comprises a narrow chain of coral islands scattered over 1.2 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. With a total land area of 26 square kilometres, it is the fourth smallest nation in the world behind Vatican City, Monaco and Nauru. The low-lying islands have a maximum height of 4.6 metres. Six of the atolls have lagoons open to the ocean and two have landlocked lagoons. Funafuti, the largest atoll and the capital of Tuvalu, measures only a few hundred metres across. Poor soils restrict vegetation to coconut palms and salt-resistant bush.

Climate

Tuvalu has a tropical climate, moderated by easterly trade winds between March and November and westerly gales with heavy rain from November to March. Although tropical cyclones occasionally develop nearby, they rarely become hurricane-force in Tuvalu waters. The annual temperature range is 26–32°C and the average annual rainfall is from 2,600 millimetres in the northern atolls, increasing southwards to 4,003 millimetres.

Environment

In recent years, Tuvalu has lost one metre of land around the perimeter of Funafuti as a result of sea-level rising, sand-mining for building materials and erosion caused by forest clearance. The seas of Tuvalu are rich in flora and fauna including the green tortoise, but land vegetation is limited to coconut palm, pandanus and imported fruit trees. The only indigenous mammal is the Polynesian rat. Birds include reef herons, terns and noddies. There are 22 known species of butterfly and moth.

Population

Half of the population live in urban centres, and although these are small, this figure makes Tuvalu one of the most urbanised nations in the Pacific. The two towns are Funafuti with a population of 4,492, and Vaitupu with 1,591 people.

People

Culture and identity

The majority of Tuvaluans (96%) are Polynesian with connections to Samoa and Tokelau. The remaining 4% are Micronesian. Tuvaluan society is based on the influence and rule of aliki, chief, whose traditional role includes protecting the culture and mediation in disagreements. The sisters and daughters of the aliki act as leaders and role models for Tuvaluan women. Every family has pologa, traditional tasks, which they perform for the community; these skills are handed down through the generations in a single family.

Special events are marked with feasts, traditional dancing and music, held at the maneapas, meeting houses, which are the often highly ornate focal points for communities. The traditional form of family or clan land ownership is changing, as holdings have become fragmented due to intermarriage between families from different islands and through the selling of land to outsiders.

Health

Life expectancy is 65 years (male 64 years, female 68 years). The infant mortality rate is 31 per 1,000 live births. Household rainwater harvesting and desalination provide water as surface and groundwater are very limited. In times of low rainfall water has to be shipped from New Zealand or Australia. Leaking septic systems are being replaced with composting toilets to improve sanitation. Medical staff are concentrated on Funafuti, with health stations on the outer islands. New Zealand contributes to the cost of medical evacuation to Fiji or New Zealand when necessary.

Religion and beliefs

Modern Tuvaluans are overwhelmingly Christian, originally converted from traditional religions by pastors sent from Samoa by the London Missionary Society. Some traditional beliefs still have influence, including Matematega o Kaumana, which involves ‘reading' the clouds to locate schools of fish and predict approaching disasters such as strong winds, high waves and drought.

Food and shelter

Major food sources include coconut, root crops such as taro, and fish. The most important cultivated plant is pulaka, swamp taro, grown in large pits and valued for its resistance to drought and high salinity. Rice is available and breadfruit, futi, plantains or cooking bananas, and vegetables are cultivated. Fish and chicken are the main forms of protein, and pigs are roasted for special feasts.

Although most Tuvaluans now live in houses constructed from modern materials such as concrete and corrugated iron and are connected to modern services such as power and telephones, some still live in traditional thatched houses. The fale (house) has timber posts, open sides and a thatched roof made of pandanus leaves.

Economy

Wealth and poverty

Most people on the outer islands live from fishing and gardening. Those in towns, where there is employment in government and small businesses, on average, have a much higher standard of living. The main sources of income for the country are from fishing and telecommunications licence fees, remittances from overseas workers, aid and income from overseas investments. The limited opportunities for earning money in Tuvalu bring about a lack of choices, particularly for young people and women.

Education and work

Education is compulsory between ages 5 and 15, but the quality of education is not universally high. As a result many concerned parents send their children overseas for secondary schooling. The government is investing in teacher training and curriculum development to improve outcomes.

The workforce is largely involved in subsistence fishing and agriculture, with crops of coconut, taro, papaya, pandanus and banana. The people also raise pigs, poultry and goats and produce honey.

Industries and products

Fishing, tourism and coconuts are the industries of Tuvalu. Tourist numbers are small mainly because of Tuvalu's remoteness, the expense of travel and the lack of a developed tourist infrastructure. There has been some recent development in the area of ecotourism. Coconuts are processed into copra (dried coconut meat) for the production of coconut oil.

Trade

Tuvalu is almost completely dependent on imports for its food and fuel. It also imports animals, machinery and manufactured goods from Fiji (24%), Australia (18%), New Zealand (17%) and Japan (16%).

Government

Formerly a British colony known as the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu became independent in 1978. Today it is a constitutional monarchy with HM Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State represented by a Governor-General. It has a 15-member unicameral parliament, which is elected every four years. As there are no organised political parties, members usually align themselves in informal groupings.

The last elections were held in September 2010. A vote in no confidence of the government in August 2013 led to the election of Enele Sopoaga as Prime Minister.

Achievements and challenges

Tuvalu is one of the world’s smallest and most remote nations. While the rule of law is upheld, access to basic services is generally good and serious poverty is not a major problem. Population density and urbanisation present challenges and have brought great changes to society.

Tuvalu has taken steps to strengthen economic planning and reform the public sector to promote national self-reliance. Lack of employment opportunities and skilled workers, and an environment not conducive to private-sector development is also a difficult challenge. The Tuvalu Trust Fund was established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand and the UK and supported by Japan and South Korea and serves as a reliable source of income.

Rising sea levels threaten to submerge the islands and are already raising salinity in the underground water table, and regular ‘king tides' cause flooding. Tuvalu declared a state of emergency in September 2011 after the lowest rainfall in three consecutive years of drought was recorded. A desalination plant has been built, and one more is planned.

Tuvalu is likely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of achieving universal primary education (MDG 2), reducing child mortality (MDG 4) and improving maternal health (MDG 5) but will struggle to reach the others.

Links with Australia

Australia is Tuvalu's most significant development partner, through both direct assistance and involvement in the management of the Tuvalu Trust Fund. Australia's aid program focuses on resource management and achieving the country’s development goals.

The 2006 Census recorded 111 Tuvaluans living in Australia.

In 2012–13, Australia exported AUD1.6 million worth of meat, sugar, molasses and honey to Tuvalu. Australia imported AUD123,000 of electrical machinery and parts from Tuvalu. Australian currency is legal tender in Tuvalu, but Tuvalu also circulates its own coins.