Tuvalu
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Tuvalu mo te Atua"  (Tuvaluan) "Tuvalu for the Almighty"
Anthem: Tuvalu mo te Atua  (Tuvaluan) Tuvalu for the Almighty Royal anthem: God Save the Queen
Capital	Funafuti 8°31′S 179°13′E / 8.517°S 179.217°E / -8.517; 179.217
Official language(s)	Tuvaluan, English
Demonym	Tuvaluan
Government	Parliamentary Democracy & Constitutional monarchy
-	Monarch	Elizabeth II
-	Governor General	Iakoba Italeli
-	Prime Minister	Willy Telavi
Independence
-	from the United Kingdom	1 October 1978
Area
-	Total	26 km2 (226th) 10 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	July 2011 estimate	10,544[1] (224th)
-	Density	475.88/km2 (22nd) 1,142/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2010 (est.) estimate
-	Total	$36 million (223rd)
-	Per capita	$$3,400 (2010 est.) (164)
HDI (2003)	n/a (unranked) (n/a)
Currency	Tuvaluan dollar Australian dollar (AUD)
Time zone	(UTC+12)
Drives on the	left
ISO 3166 code	TV
Internet TLD	.tv
Calling code	688

Tuvalu (/tuːˈvɑːluː/ ( listen) too-vah-loo or /ˈtuːvəluː/ too-və-loo), formerly known as the Ellice Islands,^[2] is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls. Its population of 10,472 makes it the third-least populous sovereign state in the world, with only Vatican City and Nauru having fewer inhabitants. In terms of physical land size, at just 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi) Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger only than the Vatican City at 0.44 km² (0.17 sq mi), Monaco at 1.95 km² (0.75 sq mi) and Nauru at 21 km² (8.1 sq mi).

The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesian people. In 1568 Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña sailed through the islands during his expedition in search of Terra Australis. The islands came under Britain's sphere of influence in the late 19th century. The name Ellice was applied to all nine islands after the work of English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay (1812–1876)^[3] The Ellice Islands were administered as British protectorate by a Resident Commissioner from 1892 to 1916 as part of the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT), and later as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony from 1916 to 1974. In 1974, the Ellice Islanders voted for separate British dependency status as Tuvalu, separating from the Gilbert Islands which became Kiribati upon independence. Tuvalu became fully independent within the Commonwealth on October 1, 1978. On September 5, 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Trading firms & traders 1.2 Scientific expeditions & travellers 1.3 The Pacific War & Operation Galvanic 2 Politics 3 Defence 4 Districts 5 Foreign relations 6 Geography 7 Tourism 8 Economy 9 Demographics 10 Culture 10.1 Heritage 10.2 Cuisine 10.3 Language 10.4 Sport and leisure 10.5 Music 11 Transport 12 Education 13 Climate change 14 See also 15 References 16 Further reading 17 External links

[edit] History

Tuvaluans are a Polynesian people who settled the islands around 3000 years ago^[4] coming from Tonga and Samoa. During pre-European-contact times there was frequent canoe voyaging between the nearer islands. Eight of the nine islands of Tuvalu were inhabited; thus the name, Tuvalu, means "eight standing together" in Tuvaluan. Possible evidence of fire in the Caves of Nanumanga may indicate human occupation thousands of years before that.

Tuvalu was first sighted by Europeans in 1568 with the arrival of Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira from Spain who also encountered the island of Nui which he named Isla de Jesus (Island of Jesus) but was unable to land. Keith S. Chambers and Doug Munro (1980) identify Niutao as the island that Francisco Antonio Mourelle named on May 5, 1781 thus solving what Europeans had called The Mystery of Gran Cocal.^{[5] [6]} The next European to visit was Arent Schuyler de Peyster, of New York, captain of the armed brigantine or privateer Rebecca, sailing under British colours,^[7] which passed through the southern Tuvalu waters in May 1819; de Peyster sighted Nukufetau and Funafuti, which he named Ellice's Island after an English Politician, Edward Ellice, the Member of Parliament for Coventry and the owner of the Rebecca's cargo.^[6] In 1820 the Russian explorer Mikhail Lazarev visited Nukufetau as commander of the Mirny.^[6] Following 1819 whalers were roving the Pacific though visiting Tuvalu only infrequently because of the difficulties of landing ships on the atolls. No settlements were established by the whalers.^[6]

Peruvian slave raiders ("blackbirders") seeking workers to mine the guano deposits on the Chincha Islands in Peru, combed the Pacific between 1862 and 1865, including the southern islands of Tuvalu.^[8] The Rev. A. W. Murray,^[9] the earliest European missionary in Tuvalu, reported that in 1863 about 180 people^[10] were taken from Funafuti and about 200 were taken from Nukulaelae^[11] as there were fewer than 100 of the 300 recorded in 1861 as living on Nukulaelae.^{[12] [13]}

Christianity first came to Tuvalu in 1861 when Elekana, a Christian deacon from Manihiki in the Cook Islands became caught in a storm and drifted for 8 weeks before landing at Nukulaelae. Once there, Elekana began proselytizing Christianity.^[6] In 1865 the Rev. A. W. Murray of the London Missionary Society of Protestant congregationalists, arrived as the first European missionary where he too proselytized among the inhabitants of Tuvalu. By 1878 Protestantism was well established with preachers on each island.^[6]

[edit] Trading firms & traders

The Sydney firms of Robert Towns and Company, J. C. Malcolm and Company, and Macdonald, Smith and Company, pioneered the coconut-oil trade in Tuvalu.^[14] By the 1870s J. C. Godeffroy und Sohn of Hamburg (operating out of Samoa) began to dominate the Tuvalu copra trade, which company was in 1879 taken over by Handels-und Plantagen-Gesellschaft der Südsee-Inseln zu Hamburg (DHPG). Competition came from H. M. Ruge and Company, and from Henderson and Macfarlane of Auckland, New Zealand.^[15] These trading companies engaged palagi traders who lived on the islands, some islands would have competing traders with dryer islands only have a single trader. Changes occurred with steamships replacing sailing vessels. Over time the number of competing trading companies diminished, beginning with Ruge’s bankruptcy in 1888 followed by the withdrawal of the DHPG from trading in Tuvalu in 1889/90. Henderson and Macfarlane then dominated the copra trade, operating their vessel SS Archer to call on islands in Fiji, Tuvalu, and Kiribati.^[14] New competition came from Burns Philp, operating from what is now Kiribati, with competition from Levers Pacific Plantations from 1903 and from Captain E. F. H. Allen of the Samoa Shipping and Trading Company from 1911.^[14] The numbers of palagi traders declined with the supercargo of each ship dealing directly with Tuvaluans so that by 1909 there were no resident palagi traders representing the trading firms.^[14] Tuvaluans became responsible for operating trading stores on each island.

In 1892, Captain Davis of the HMS Royalist, reported on trading activities and traders on each of the islands visited.^[16] Captain Davis identified the following traders in the Ellice Group: Edmund Duffy (Nanumea); Jack Buckland (Niutao); Harry Nitz (Vaitupu); John (also known as Jack) O'Brien (Funafuti); Alfred Restieaux and Fenisot (Nukufetau); and Martin Kleis (Nui).^[17] This was the time at which the greatest number of palagi traders lived on the atolls, acting as the agent for the trading companies.^[14] In the later 1890s and into first decade of the 20th century, structural changes occurred in the operation of the Pacific trading companies, with the trading companies moving from a practice of having traders resident on each island to trade with the islanders to a business operation where the supercargo (the cargo manager of a trading ship) would deal directly with the islanders when a ship would visit an island. From 1900, the numbers of palagi traders in Tuvalu declined, with the last of the palagi traders being Fred Whibley on Niutao and Alfred Restieaux on Nukufetau. However, by 1909 there were no resident palagi traders representing the trading companies,^[18] although both Fred Whibley and Alfred Restieaux^[19] remained in the islands until their deaths.

[edit] Scientific expeditions & travellers

The United States Exploring Expedition under Charles Wilkes visited Funafuti, Nukufetau and Vaitupu in 1841.^[20] During the visit of the expedition to Tuvalu Alfred Thomas Agate, engraver and illustrator, recorded the dress and tattoo patterns of men of Nukufetau.^[21]

In 1890, Robert Louis Stevenson, his wife Fanny Vandegrift Stevenson, and her son Lloyd Osbourne sailed on the Janet Nicoll,^[22] a trading steamer owned by Henderson and Macfarlane of Auckland, New Zealand, which operated between Sydney, Auckland and into the central Pacific. The Janet Nicoll visited Tuvalu; while Fanny records that they made landfall at Funafuti and Niutao, Jane Resture suggests that it was more likely that they visited Nukufetau rather than Funafuti.^[23] An account of the voyage was written by Fanny Vandegrift Stevenson and published under the title The Cruise of the Janet Nichol,^[24] together with photographs taken by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne.

In 1894, Count Rudolph Festetics de Tolna, his wife Eila (née Haggin)^[25] and her daughter Blanche Haggin visited Funafuti aboard the yacht Le Tolna.^[26] Le Tolna spent several days at Funafuti with the Count photographing men and woman on Funafuti.^[27]

The boreholes on Funafuti at the site now called David's Drill are the result of drilling conducted by the Royal Society of London for the purpose of investigating the formation of coral reefs and whether traces of shallow water organisms could be found at depth in the coral of Pacific atolls. This investigation followed the work on the structure and distribution of coral reefs conducted by Charles Darwin in the Pacific. Drilling occurred in 1896, 1897 and 1911. Professor Edgeworth David of the University of Sydney lead the expeditions in 1896 & 1897.^[28] Photographers on the expeditions recorded people, communities and scenes at Funafuti.^[29]

Harry Clifford Fassett, captain's clerk and photographer, recorded people, communities and scenes at Funafuti during a visit of USFC Albatross when the U.S. Fish Commission were investigating the formation of coral reefs on Pacific atolls in 1900.^[30]

[edit] The Pacific War & Operation Galvanic

During the Pacific War, the United States Marine Corps landed on Funafuti on October 2, 1942. The Japanese had already occupied Tarawa and other islands in what is now Kiribati, A Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) built compacted coral runways at Funafuti with satellites airfields on both Nanumea and Nukufetau. Building the runway at Funafuti involved the loss of land used for growing pulaka and taro with extensive excavation of coral from what are still known as the borrow pits. The runway continues in use today as Funafuti International Airport.

The Seabees also blasted an opening in the reef at Nanumea, which became known as the 'American Passage'.^[31]

While Funafuti suffered air attacks during 1943, casualties were limited, although on one occasion on 23 April 1943, 680 people took refuge in the concrete walled, pandanus-thatched church. Fortunately an American soldier, Corporal B. F. Ladd persuaded them to get into dugouts, as a bomb struck the building shortly after.^[32]

USAAF B-24 Liberator bombers of the Seventh Air Force operated from Tuvalu. The atolls of Tuvalu acted as a staging post during the preparation for the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Makin that commenced on 20 November 1943, which was the implementation of operation 'Galvanic'.^[31]

[edit] Politics

Tuvalu is a Parliamentary Democracy and Commonwealth realm, with Queen Elizabeth II serving as the country's head of state, bearing the title Queen of Tuvalu. The Queen does not reside in the islands and is represented in Tuvalu by a Governor General, who is appointed by the Queen upon the advice of the country's elected Prime Minister. The local unicameral parliament, or Fale I Fono, has 15 members and is elected every four years. Its members select 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 also has its own high-chief or ulu-aliki, and several sub-chiefs (alikis) and elders. The elders form together an island council of elders or te sina o fenua (literally:"grey-hairs of the land"). In the past, another caste, namely the one of the priests (tofuga) was also amongst the decision-makers. The sina o fenua, aliki and ulu-aliki exercise informal authority on a local level. Ulu-aliki are always chosen based on ancestry, and their powers are now shared with the pule o kaupule (elected village presidents; one on each atoll).^[33] There are no formal political parties and election campaigns are largely on the basis of personal/family ties and reputation.

The highest court in Tuvalu is the High Court; there are eight Island Courts with limited jurisdiction. Rulings from the High Court can be appealed to the Court of Appeal of Tuvalu. From the Court of Appeal there is a right of appeal to Her Majesty in Council, i.e., the Privy Council in London.

[edit] Defence

Tuvalu has no regular military forces, and spends no money on the military. Its police force includes a Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations. The police have a Pacific-class patrol boat (HMTSS Te Mataili) provided by Australia under the Pacific Patrol Boat Program for use in maritime surveillance and fishery patrol.^[34] HMTSS stands for His/Her Majesty's Tuvaluan State Ship or His/Her Majesty's Tuvalu Surveillance Ship.

[edit] Districts

Tuvalu's small population is distributed across nine islands, five of which are atolls.^[35] The smallest island, Niulakita, was uninhabited until it was settled by people from Niutao in 1949.

Local government districts consisting of more than one islet:

• Funafuti
• Nanumea
• Nui
• Nukufetau
• Nukulaelae
• Vaitupu

Local government districts consisting of only one island:

• Nanumanga
• Niulakita
• Niutao

[edit] Foreign relations

Tuvalu maintains close relations with Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. It has diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan); the ROC maintains the only resident embassy in Tuvalu and has a large assistance program in the islands. Tuvalu has maintained a mission at the UN in New York City since 2000. A major international priority for Tuvalu in the UN, at the 2002 Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa and in other international fora is promoting concern about global warming and possible sea level rise. Tuvalu advocates ratification and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. In December 2009 the islands stalled talks on climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, fearing some other developing countries were not committing fully to binding deals on a reduction in carbon emission, their chief negotiator stated "Tuvalu is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change, and our future rests on the outcome of this meeting."^[36] It also is a member of the Asian Development Bank. Tuvalu is a party to a treaty of friendship with the United States, signed soon after independence and ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1983, under which the United States renounced prior territorial claims to four Tuvaluan islands under the Guano Act.^[37] Tuvalu is also a member of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement.^[38]

[edit] Geography

Tuvalu consists of three reef islands and six true atolls. Its small, scattered group of atolls have poor soil and a total land area of only about 26 square kilometres (less than 10 sq. mi.) making it the fourth smallest country in the world. The islets that form the atolls are very low lying. Nanumaga, Niutao, Niulakita are reef islands and the six true atolls are Funafuti, Nanumea, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae and Vaitupu. Funafuti is the largest atoll of the nine low reef islands and atolls that form the Tuvalu volcanic island chain. It comprises numerous islets around a central lagoon that is approximately 25.1 kilometres (15.6 mi) (N–S) by 18.4 kilometres (11.4 mi) (W-E), centred on 179°7’E and 8°30’S. On the atolls an annular reef rim surrounds the lagoon, with several natural reef channels.^[39]

The highest elevation is 4.5 metres (15 ft) above sea level,^[40] which gives Tuvalu the second-lowest maximum elevation of any country (after the Maldives). However, the highest elevations are typically in narrow storm dunes on the ocean side of the islands which are prone to over topping in tropical cyclones, such as occurred with Tropical Cyclone Bebe.^{[41] [42]}

Because of the low elevation, the islands that make up this nation are threatened by current and future sea level rise. Under such circumstances, the population may evacuate to New Zealand, Niue or the Fijian island of Kioa. Additionally, efforts are underway by researchers in Japan to rebuild the coral reefs through introduction of foraminifer.^[43]

Additionally, Tuvalu is annually affected by king tide events which peak towards the end of the austral summer, and raise the sea level higher than a normal high tide.^[44] As a result of historical sea level rise, the king tide events lead to flooding of low lying areas, which is compounded when sea levels are further raised by La Nina or local storms and waves.

In the future, sea level rise may threaten to submerge the nation entirely as it is estimated that a sea level rise of 20–40 centimetres (8–16 inches) in the next 100 years could make Tuvalu uninhabitable.^{[45] [46]}

Tuvalu has very poor land and the soil is hardly usable for agriculture. Drinking water is mostly obtained from rainwater collected on roofs and stored in tanks; these systems are often poorly maintained, resulting in lack of water.^[47] Tuvalu has westerly gales and heavy rain from November to March and tropical temperatures moderated by easterly winds from March to November.

[edit] Tourism

The main island of Funafuti is the focus of travelers, as the only airport in Tuvalu is the Funafuti International Airport, with the island having hotel accommodation.^[48] Ecotourism is a motivation of travelers to Tuvalu. The Funafuti Conservation Area consists of 33 square kilometers of ocean, reef, lagoon, channel and islands habitats with the Funafuti Conservation Area including six uninhabited islets.^[49]

The outer atolls can be visited on the two passenger/cargo ships Nivaga II and Manu Folau, which provide a round trip visiting the outer islands every three or four weeks.^[50] There is no tourist accommodation on the outer atolls.

[edit] Economy

From 1996 to 2002, Tuvalu was one of the best performing Pacific Island economies and achieved an average real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 5.6 per cent per annum. Since 2002 economic growth has slowed with GDP of 1.5% in 2008. Tuvalu was exposed to rapid rises in world prices fuel and food in 2008, with the level of inflation peaking at 13.4%.^[51] The International Monetary Fund 2010 Report on Tuvalu estimates that Tuvalu experienced zero growth in GDP in 2010, after the economy contracted by about 2 percent in 2009.^[52]

Public sector workers make up about two thirds of those in formal employment. About 15% of adult males work as seamen on foreign flagged merchant ships. Tuvaluans are otherwise involved in traditional subsistence agriculture and fishing.^[1]

Tuvalu generates income from the Tuvalu Trust Fund, the commercialisation of the ‘.tv’ web address, fishing licences, sale of stamps and coins; remittances from Tuvuluans living in Australia and New Zealand; and remittances from Tuvaluan sailors employed on overseas ships.^[53][54]

In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and from the sale of its ".tv" Internet domain name.^[55]

The Tuvalu Trust Fund was established in 1987 by the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.^[53] The value of the Tuvalu Trust Fund is approximately $100 million.^[51][52][56]

Australia and New Zealand continue to contribute capital to the Tuvalu Trust Fund and provide other forms of development assistance.^[53][54] The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, with 1999 payments from the South Pacific Tuna Treaty (SPTT) at about $9 million, a total which is expected to rise annually. The SPTT entered into force in 1988 with the current SPTT agreement expiring on June 14, 2013.^[57] Financial support to Tuvalu is also provided by Japan, South Korea and the European Union.^[57]

The United Nations designates Tuvalu as a ‘Least Developed Country’, because of its limited potential for economic development, absence of exploitable resources, small size and vulnerability to external economic and environmental shocks.^[58]

Because of the country's remoteness, tourism does not provide much income; a thousand tourists are estimated to visit Tuvalu annually.^[59]

[edit] Demographics

The country's population has more than doubled since 1980, with a growth rate of 0.702% the population is estimated to reach 10,544 in July 2010.^[1] The population of Tuvalu is primarily of Polynesian ethnicity; about 4% of the population is Micronesian.^[1] The net migration rate is estimated at -7.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)^[1]

Life expectancy at birth is 62.7 years for males and 66.9 years for females (2011 est.)^[1]

The Tuvaluan language is spoken by virtually everyone, while a language very similar to Gilbertese is spoken on Nui. English is also an official language, but is not spoken in daily use. Parliament and official functions are conducted in Tuvaluan.

The introduction of Christianity ended the worship of the spirits of ancestors and other deities, along with the power of the vaka-atua (the priests of the old religions).Laumua Kofe describes the objects of worship as varying from island to island; although ancestor worship is described by Rev. D.J. Whitmee in 1870 as being common practice.^[60] About 97% of the Tuvaluans are members of the Church of Tuvalu, a Protestant Christian church. Tuvaluans continue to have respect for their ancestors within the context of a strong Christian faith.

Other religions practised on the island include Seventh-day Adventist (1.4%) and Bahá'í (1%).^[1] Also the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community claims 400 members (3%) in Tuvalu.^[61]

[edit] Culture

[edit] Heritage

The traditional community system still survives to a large extent on Tuvalu. Each family has its own task, or salanga, to perform for the community, such as fishing, house building or defence. The skills of a family are passed on from parents to children. Most islands have their own fusi, or community owned shops that are similar to a convenience store, you can buy canned foods and bags of rice, but goods are cheaper and fusis give better prices for their own produce.^[33] Another important building is the falekaupule or village hall, where important matters are discussed and which is also used for wedding celebrations and community activities such as a fatele involving music, singing and dancing.^[33]

[edit] Cuisine

The traditional foods eaten in Tuvalu are Pulaka, bananas, breadfruit, coconut, pulaka, seafood (coconut crab, turtle and fish), seabirds (taketake or Black Noddy and akiaki or White Tern) and pork.^[33]

Pulaka is the main source for carbohydrates. It is grown in large pits below the watertable in composted soil. Seafood is the main source of protein. Bananas and breadfruit are supplemental crops. Finally, coconut is used for its juice, making beverages and to make food tastier. Pork is eaten mostly at fateles (or parties with dancing to celebrate certain events).^[33]

Catching flying fish, with a boat, a butterfly net, and a spotlight to attract the flying fish, is both a source of food and an exciting activity.^[33]

[edit] Language

The Tuvaluan language of the Ellicean group spoken in Tuvalu. It is more or less distantly related to all other Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian, Māori, Tahitian, Samoan, and Tongan, and most closely related to the languages spoken on the Polynesian outliers in Micronesia and Northern and Central Melanesia. Tuvaluan has borrowed considerably from Samoan, the language of Christian missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are about 13,000 Tuvaluan speakers worldwide.^[62][63]

[edit] Sport and leisure

A traditional sport played in Tuvalu is kilikiti, which is similar to cricket.^[64] Another sport popular and specific to Tuvalu is ano, which is played with 2 round balls of 12 cm diameter.^[33] More common sports such as football, volleyball and rugby union are also played in the country as recreational activities. Tuvalu has a national football team and competes officially with local nations, despite not being a FIFA member. However, there are no records of a rugby team, in either code, and rugby remains undeveloped in the country, despite its great popularity.^[65]

There are no training facilities for any sport in the country. Tuvalu entered the Olympic Games for the first time at the 2008 summer games in Beijing, China, sending three competitors in two events.

[edit] Music

[edit] Transport

Transport services in Tuvalu are limited. There are about eight kilometres of roads.^[1] The streets of Funafuti were paved and lit in mid-2002, and other roads are unpaved. Tuvalu is among a few countries that do not have railroads.

Funafuti is the only port, and there is also a deep-water berth in the harbour at Nukufetau. The merchant marine fleet consists of two passenger/cargo ships Nivaga II and Manu Folau. These ships carry cargo and passengers between the main atolls and also travel between Suva, Fiji^[66] and Funafuti^[50] 3-4 times a year. The Nivaga II and Manu Folau provide a round trip visiting the outer islands every three or four weeks. The Manu Folau is a 50-meter vessel that was a gift from Japan to the people of Tuvalu.

The only airport is Funafuti International Airport; it is a tarred strip. Air Pacific, which owns Fiji Airlines, trading as Pacific Sun operates services between Suva (originating from Nadi) and Funafuti.

[edit] Education

Education in Tuvalu is free of charge and compulsory between the ages of 6 and 15 years. Each island has a primary school. The secondary school is on Vaitupu. Students board at the school during the school term, returning to their home islands each school vacation.

School attendance at school is 10 years for males and 11 years for females (2001)^[1] Adult literacy rate is 99.0% (2002)^[52]

The Tuvaluan Employment Ordinance (1966) sets the minimum age for paid employment at 14, and prohibits children below age 15 from performing hazardous work.^[67]

[edit] Climate change

At its highest, Tuvalu is only 4.5 m above sea level, and officials have been concerned about the effects of rising sea levels for some years.^[68]

As low-lying islands, lacking a surrounding shallow shelf, the island communities of Tuvalu are especially susceptible to changes in sea level and storm patterns that hit the island undissipated. It is estimated that a sea level rise of 20–40 centimetres (8–16 inches) in the next 100 years could make Tuvalu uninhabitable.^[45][46] The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) suggests that while Tuvalu is vulnerable to climate change there are additional environmental problems such as population growth and poor coastal management that are affecting sustainable development on the island. SOPAC ranks the country as extremely vulnerable using the Environmental Vulnerability Index.^[69]

While some commentators have called for the relocation of the population of Tuvalu to Australia, New Zealand, or Kioa (Fiji), the former Prime Minister Maatia Toafa said his government did not regard rising sea levels as such a threat that the entire population would need to be evacuated.^[70][71] In spite of persistent Internet rumours that New Zealand has agreed to accept an annual quota of 75 evacuees, the annual residence quota of 75 Tuvaluans under the Pacific Access Category (and 50 places for people from Kiribati) replaced the previous Work Schemes from the two countries and are not related to environmental concerns.^[72]

At the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December 2009, Tuvalu's spokesman Ian Fry was one of the strongest critics of the final document, stating "It looks like we are being offered thirty pieces of silver to betray our people and our future."^[73]

By March 4, 2011, modern day life had badly reduced fish stocks. Saline seawater seeped inland on Funafuti atoll, the capital of Tuvalu, due to rising sea levels as a result of climate change. Sea pollution has been destroying their sustainable way of life.^[74]

[edit] See also

Additional, more specific, and related topics may be found at:

• Outline of Tuvalu
  
• List of Tuvalu-related topics
  
• Commonwealth of Nations
• Communications in Tuvalu
• ISO 3166-2:TV
• LGBT rights in Tuvalu

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• A Guide to the Birds of Fiji and Western Polynesia: Including American Samoa, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna, by Dick Watling, Environmental Consultants (Fiji) Ltd; 2nd edition, 2003
• Cinderellas of the Empire: towards a history of Kiribati and Tuvalu',' by Barrie Macdonald, Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 2001. ISBN 982-02-0335-X (Australian National University Press, first published 1982)
• Literacy, Emotion and Authority: Reading and Writing on a Polynesian Atoll, by Niko Besnier, Cambridge University Press, 1995
• Lonely Planet Guide: South Pacific & Micronesia, by various
• Time & Tide: The Islands of Tuvalu, by Peter Bennetts and Tony Wheeler, 2001 (Lonely Planet)
• Where the Hell is Tuvalu?, by Philip Ells, Virgin Books, 2008

Customs and Traditions

• Brady Ivan, Kinship Reciprocity in the Ellice Islands, Journal of Polynesian Society 81:3 (1972), 290-316
• Brady Ivan, Land Tenure in the Ellice Islands, in Henry P. Lundsaarde (ed). Land Tenure in Oceania, Honolulu, University Press of Hawaii (1974)
• Christensen, Dieter, Old Musical Styles in the Ellice Islands, Western Polynesia, Ethnomusicology, 8:1 (1964), 34-40
• Christensen, Dieter and Gerd Koch, Die Musik der Ellice-Inseln, Berlin: Museum fur Volkerkunde (1964)
• Koch, Gerd, Die Materielle Kulture der Ellice-Inseln, Berlin: Museum fur Volkerkunde (1961)

[edit] External links

Find more about Tuvalu on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Chief of State and Cabinet Members

General information

• Tuvalu entry at The World Factbook
• Tuvalu from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Tuvalu at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of Tuvalu

Travel

• Timeless Tuvalu Official Travel Website
• Tuvalu travel guide from Wikitravel

Video

• Tuvalu Pleads for Climate Resolution – report by Democracy Now!

Records of scientific expeditions

• The United States Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842 – from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries Digital Collections
• Google Books
• Material from the Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.
  • Navy Art Gallery Exhibit: The Alfred Agate Collection: The United States Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842

v · d · eIslands and atolls of Tuvalu Islands Nanumanga • Niulakita • Niutao Atolls Funafuti • Nanumea • Nui • Nukufetau • Nukulaelae • Vaitupu Islets of Funafuti Amatuku • Avalau • Falaoigo • Fale Fatu • Fatato • Fongafale • Fuafatu • Fuagea • Fualefeke • Fualopa • Funafala • Funamanu • Luamotu • Mateika • Motugie • Motuloa • Mulitefala Nukusavalevale • Papa Elise • Pukasavilivili • Te Afuafou • Te Afualiku • Tefala • Telele • Tengasu • Tepuka • Tepuka Vili Vili • Tutanga • Vasafua Islets of Nanumea Lakena • Lefogaki • Teatua a Taepoa • Temotufoliki Islets of Nui Fenua Tapu • Telikiai aka Meang • Motupuakaka • Pakantou • Piliaieve • Pongalei • Talalolae • Tokinivae • Unimai Islets of Nukufetau Faiava Lasi • Fale • Funaota • Kongo Loto Lafanga • Lafanga • Matanukulaelae • Motufetau • Motulalo • Motuloa (north of Nukufetau) • Motuloa (south of Nukufetau) • Motumua • Niualuka • Niuatui • Oua • Sakalua • Savave • Teafatule • Teafuaniua • Teafuanonu • Teafuone • Temotuloto Islets of Vaitupu Luasamotu • Isles of Mosana • Motutanifa • Temotu • Te Motu Olepa • Tofia

v · d · ePolynesia Polynesian triangle Austral Islands · Cook Islands · Easter Island · Gambier Islands · Hawaiian Islands · Marquesas · New Zealand · Pitcairn Islands · Sala y Gómez · Samoan Islands · Society Islands · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuamotus · Tuvalu · Wallis and Futuna Islands Polynesian outliers Anuta · Emae · Futuna · Kapingamarangi · Loyalty Islands · Mele · Nuguria · Nukumanu · Nukuoro · Ontong Java · Ouvéa · Pileni · Rennell · Sikaiana · Takuu · Tikopia Polynesian-influenced Lau Islands · Rotuma

v · d · eCountries and territories of Oceania Sovereign states Australia · Chile (Easter Island · Juan Fernández Islands) · East Timor (Timor-Leste) · Fiji · Indonesia · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Japan (Bonin Islands) · Nauru · New Zealand · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Tuvalu · United States (Hawaii · Palmyra Atoll) · Vanuatu Dependencies and other territories Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands Territory · Norfolk Island France Clipperton Island · French Polynesia · New Caledonia · Wallis and Futuna New Zealand Cook Islands · Niue · Tokelau United Kingdom Pitcairn Islands United States American Samoa · Baker Island · Guam · Howland Island · Jarvis Island  · Johnston Atoll  · Kingman Reef  · Midway Atoll  · Northern Mariana Islands · Wake Island

v · d · eCulture of indigenous Oceania List of resources about traditional arts and culture of Oceania Art ahu · Australia · Austronesia · Cook Islands · Hawaiʻi · kapa (Hawaiʻi) · lei (Hawaii) · magimagi · Māori · moai · New Zealand · nguzu nguzu · Oceania · Papua New Guinea · reimiro · tā moko · tapa ["masi" (Fiji), "ngatu" (Tonga), "siapo" (Sāmoa), " ʻuha" (Rotuma)] · tabua · ta'ovala · tattoo · tēfui · tivaivai Broad culture areca nut · Kava culture · kava, [" ʻawa" (Hawaii), "yaqona" (Fiji), or "sakau" (Pohnpei) · Sāmoa 'ava ceremony] · Lapita · Māori · Polynesia · Polynesian navigation · wood carving Geo-specific, general Australia · Australian Aboriginal astronomy · Austronesia · Caroline Islands, -Pwo · Chatham Islands · Cook Islands · Easter Island · Fiji, -Lau Islands, -traditions and ceremonies · Guam · Hawaiʻi, -Lomilomi massage · Kiribati · French Polynesia's Marquesas Islands · Marshall Islands, -Stick charts of · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · Niue · Norfolk Island · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Pitcairn Islands · Sāmoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Torres Strait Islands · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Wallis and Futuna · Yap, -navigation, -Weriyeng navigation school Canoes Aboriginal Dugout · Alingano Maisu · Drua · Dugout (boat) · Hawaiʻiloa · Hōkūleʻa · Modern Hawaiian outrigger · Māori migration · Outrigger · Polynesian sailing · Proa · Waka,-List of · Walap Dance 'aparima · cibi · fara · fire dancing · firewalking · haka · hivinau · hula · kailao · kapa haka · Kiribati · meke · 'ote'a · pa'o'a · poi · Rotuma · siva · Tahiti · tāmūrē · tautoga · Tonga · 'upa'upa Festivals Australia's Garma Festival · Hawaiʻi's Aloha Festivals, Merrie Monarch Festival, and World Invitational Hula Festival · Fiji · New Zealand's Pasifika Festival · The Pacific Community's Festival of Pacific Arts · Festivals in Papua New Guinea Languages by area v · d · eLanguages of Oceania Sovereign states Australia · East Timor (Timor-Leste) · Fiji · Indonesia · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · New Zealand · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu Dependencies and other territories American Samoa · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Cook Islands · Easter Island · French Polynesia · Guam · Hawaii · New Caledonia · Niue · Norfolk Island · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna by category Languages of Oceania Literature v · d · eLiterature of Oceania Sovereign states Australia · East Timor (Timor-Leste) · Fiji · Indonesia · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · New Zealand · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu Dependencies and other territories American Samoa · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Cook Islands · Easter Island · French Polynesia · Guam · Hawaii · New Caledonia · Niue · Norfolk Island · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna Music Austral Islands (French Polynesia) · Australia · Austronesia · Cook Islands · Easter Island · Fiji · Guam · Hawaiʻi · Kiribati · Lali · Māori · Melanesia · Northern Mariana Islands · Micronesia · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · Niue · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Polynesia · Sāmoa · Slit drum · Solomon Islands · Tahiti · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Wallis and Futuna Mythology Australian Aboriginal · Fijian · Māori · Melanesian · Menehune · Micronesian · Oceanian legendary creatures · Polynesian · Rapa Nui · Vanuatu People Indigneous Australian · Austronesian · Chamorro · Chatham Islander (Moriori or Rekohu) · Fijian · Hawaiian (kānaka maoli) · Māori · Marshallese · Melanesian · Micronesian · Negrito · Norfolk Islander · Papuan · Polynesian · Indigenous Polynesian (Mā’ohi) · Rapanui · Rotuman · Samoan · Tahitian · Tongan · Torres Strait Islander Religion v · d · eReligion in Oceania Sovereign states Australia · East Timor (Timor-Leste) · Fiji · Indonesia · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · New Zealand · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu Dependencies and other territories American Samoa · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Cook Islands · Easter Island · French Polynesia · Guam · Hawaii · New Caledonia · Niue · Norfolk Island · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna Not included: Oceanian: cinema, (indigenous) currency, dress, folkore, cuisine. Also see Category:Oceanian culture.

v · d · eMembers of the Commonwealth of Nations Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji (suspended) · The Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · Rwanda · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Swaziland · Tanzania · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · United Kingdom · Vanuatu · Zambia Dependencies Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island New Zealand Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands

v · d · e  Commonwealth realms   Current Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Grenada · Jamaica · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · St Kitts and Nevis · St Lucia · St Vincent and the Grenadines · Solomon Islands · Tuvalu · United Kingdom   Former Ceylon · Fiji · Gambia · Ghana · Guyana · India1 · Ireland1 · Kenya · Malawi · Malta · Mauritius · Newfoundland2 · Nigeria · Pakistan · Rhodesia3 · Sierra Leone · South Africa · Tanganyika · Trinidad and Tobago · Uganda   1 Dominion, became republic before adoption of the term "realm"   2 Dominion, never ratified Statute of Westminster 1931, London-based external government 1934–1949, annexed by Canada in 1949 3 Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia in 1965, claiming to be a Commonwealth realm, but this was unrecognised by the United Kingdom. Rhodesia then declared itself a republic in 1970.

v · d · eMonarchies List of current sovereign monarchs · List of current constituent monarchs By continent Africa · Americas · Asia · Europe · Oceania By country Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Andorra · The Bahamas · Bahrain · Barbados · Belize · Belgium · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · Canada · Denmark · Grenada · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kuwait · Liechtenstein · Lesotho · Luxembourg · Malaysia · Monaco · Morocco · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Oman · Papua New Guinea · Qatar · Spain · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Saudi Arabia · Solomon Islands · Swaziland · Sweden · Thailand · Tonga · Tuvalu · United Arab Emirates · United Kingdom · Vatican City By type Absolute · Constitutional · Elective · Hereditary · Diarchy · Federal Italics indicate Commonwealth realms, which each share the same person as head of state.