Tonga
Country Facts
| Population |
104,000
|
| Language |
Tongan, English
|
| Nationality |
Tongans
|
| Size |
748 sq km
|
| Bordering Countries |
group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
|
Tonga is located in the South Pacific Ocean and is comprised of 169 islands, 36 of which are inhabited. The country has been ruled by a direct line of royalty since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and is the only nation in the region to maintain its monarchy despite contact with the British. Tonga came under British protection in 1900, when the Tongan monarchy was threatened by other European settlers. In 1970, it became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, withdrawing from British protection, despite being the only member of the commonwealth with its own hereditary monarchy rather than the monarchy of Britain.
Tonga is traditionally a conservative country with its monarchy controlling the government and the political life of Tonga. In 2005, a campaign for the reform of this system began following a public sector strike that featured major street demonstrations. These demonstrations led to riots in November 2006 in which 8 people were killed in the capital.
Since 2005 the parliament has reformed to allow for elected rather than hand-picked members to join and after six months of protests, Tonga’s first non-noble prime minister was elected. King George Tupou V, the reigning monarch, has promised to reduce the influence of the royal family on Tonga’s parliament by allowing the majority of the parliament to be elected in the November 2010 elections.
