Tuvalu

The small island country of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, consists of three reef islands and six atolls with a total land area of only 30 km². This makes Tuvalu as the fourth smallest country in the world in terms of land area. Tuvalu is situated approximately halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The islands lie only 4 to 5 m above sea level. Because the soils are porous, agriculture is limited, and fresh water is provided by rain and wells only.

Tuvalu has a hot, humid and rainy equatorial climate with two seasons. The wet season lasts from November to April and the dry season from May to October, with average rainfall below 250 mm per month during the dry season. Precipitation is plentiful, exceeding 3 000 mm per year. The prevailing winds are from the southeast, while westerly storms occur from November to February. Temperatures are very stable throughout the year at 28‐29 °C each month, around 25 °C at night and 31 °C during the day. Water temperature is always 29‐30 °C. -—
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—- Tuvalu is occasionally affected by the tropical cyclones of the South Pacific.

The economy of Tuvalu suffers from its remoteness and lack of economies of scale. Farming, for instance of coconut palms, and fishing remain prominent economic activities, accounting for about one fifth of GDP. Important export partners include Japan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States of America. Remittances from male Tuvaluans working overseas in maritime industries contributed 9 per cent to GDP in 2019 -—
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—-. The government produces revenue mostly from selling fishing licenses and from grants from international donors. The sale of stamps has been an important, but declining, source of revenue for the country and the government. Tuvalu has hardly any tourism. Its economic and environmental vulnerability is the third highest among the SIDS and in the world -—
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Culture in Tuvalu underpins the ability of the people of Tuvalu to live and thrive in an island environment. The communities in Tuvalu have actively engaged in the cultural production of a variety of handicrafts, such as mats, baskets, fans, shell necklaces and costumes for traditional performances. These handicrafts are designed for daily use by the community but are increasingly sought after as gifts by tourists.

Falekaupule, the traditional island meeting hall, is an important place for cultural events. They are used for wedding celebrations and community activities such as a fatele, a traditional dance song of Tuvalu, involving music, singing and dancing. A traditional sport played in Tuvalu is kilikiti, which is similar to cricket. Another popular sport specific to Tuvalu is Ano, which is a localised version of volleyball. Tuvalu entered the Olympic Games for the first time at the 2008 Summer Games in weightlifting and track and field by taking part in the 100 m sprint.