Tonga

Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. It is located south of Samoa and about two‐thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. Only about 40 of Tonga's some 170 islands are inhabited. Geologically, the Tongan islands are of two types: most have a limestone base formed from uplifted coral formations, whereas others consist of limestone overlaying a volcanic base. Tonga's high volcanic and low coral forms give the islands a unique character. Some volcanoes are still active, for instance, Falcon Island is a submerged volcano that erupts periodically, its lava and ash rising above sea level forming a visible island which disappears when the eruption is over.

Tonga's climate is tropical, but slightly cooler than in most tropical areas. Average monthly temperatures range from 23 to 27 °C. The warm season lasts from December to April with highs above 32 °C. During the cooler months, temperatures rarely rise above 27 °C. The tropical cyclone season mostly coincides with the warm and rainy season from November to April. Average annual rainfall is below 1 700 mm, with February and March the wettest months. -—
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—- Tonga is second on the list of countries most at risk according to the United Nations University -—
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—- World Risk Index.

All land is owned by the Tongan monarchy, but some plots have been divided among the country's nobles. Tonga has a large non‐monetary sector and is heavily dependent on remittances sent by the country's population living and working abroad. Remittances accounted for almost 35 per cent of GDP in 2019 -—
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—-. The country attracted 94 thousand tourist arrivals in 2019 with an inbound tourism expenditure of 10 per cent over GDP -—
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—-. Manufacturing consists of handicrafts and a few other very small‐scale industries. Agriculture, forestry and fishery provides 24 per cent of employment -—
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—- and almost the same share of GDP -—
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—-. Agricultural products include bananas, coconuts, coffee beans, vanilla beans and root crops such as cassava, sweet potato and taro. The main export destinations include New Zealand, the United States of America and China.

Religion is an important aspect of Tongan society, and most Tongan families are members of a Christian church. Tongan ritual surrounding the drinking of kava, a mildly narcotic drink, has survived despite western influence. Traditional dancing is an important part of ceremonies and parties. In the popular paddle dance, called me'etu'upaki, dancers carry paddle‐shaped boards painted or carved with likenesses of the human body.

Tongans quite literally live from the land. They are highly self‐reliant and eat many locally grown and hand‐picked fruits, such as breadfruits, coconuts, bananas, mandarins, papayas, lemons, passion fruits and guavas. Lemon leaves are also used for tea. Vegetables such as taro, cassava, kumara and yam are diet staples. Tongans also depend on the ocean, which provides fish, octopus, clams, shellfish and sea cucumbers. Fresh coconut milk is often used in cooking.

Rugby is the national sport in Tonga. Sumo wrestling is also very popular. Tongan athletes have competed at both Summer and Winter Olympics.