Tuvalu Location:
8°31'S, 179°13'E
Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Samoa and Fiji. Comprising four reef islands and five true atolls, with a total land area of just 26 square kilometers (10 sq mi), it is the second-least populated independent country in the world, with Vatican City having the least. It is the smallest member by population of the United Nations. In terms of physical land size Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger than only the Vatican City - 0.44 km2; Monaco - 1.95 km2 and Nauru - 21 km2.
Tuvalu Geography:
Tuvalu consists of four reef islands and five true atolls. Its small, scattered group of atolls has 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 land is very low lying with narrow coral atolls. 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. An annular reef rim surrounds the lagoon, with several natural reef channels.
The highest elevation is five meters (16 ft) above sea level. Because of this low elevation, the islands that make up this nation may be threatened by any future sea level rise. Under such circumstances, the population may evacuate to New Zealand, Niue or the Fijian island of Kioa.
Tuvalu has very poor land and the soil is hardly usable for agriculture. There is almost no reliable supply of drinking water.
Tuvalu has westerly gales and heavy rain from November to March and tropical temperatures moderated by easterly winds from March to November.
Tuvalu People:
Population
- July 2005 estimate 10,441 (222nd)
- Density 441 /km2 (22nd)
1,142 /sq mi
Tuvalu Government:
Government Constitutional monarchy
- Queen Elizabeth II
- Governor General Filoimea Telito
- Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia
Tuvalu Economy:
Tuvalu has almost no natural resources, and its main form of income consists of foreign aid. Virtually the only jobs in the islands that pay a steady wage or salary are with the government. Subsistence farming and fishing remain the primary economic activities, particularly off the capital island of Funafuti. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins, fishing licenses and worker remittances.
About 800 Tuvaluans previously worked in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry or aboard foreign ships as sailors. When phosphate mining ceased in Nauru, 378 Tuvaluans were stranded in the country until they were repatriated in 2006 by a joint program in which Australia, New Zealand, and the EU paid most of the cost of their return passage, and Taiwan paid the back wages they were owed.[8] Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom and supported also by Japan and South Korea. This fund grew from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, with 1999 payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries at about $9 million, a total which is expected to rise annually. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%.[citation needed]
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. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties. However, the Canadian entrepreneur who negotiated the deal, Jason Chapnik, was unable to raise the $50 million in the contracted time period, and the contract eventually fell into other hands.
Due to its remoteness, tourism does not provide much income; only a handful of tourists visit Tuvalu annually. Almost all visitors are government officials, aid workers, non-governmental organization officials or consultants.
Tuvalu allegedly participated in Japan's vote buying scheme for the IWC in 2006 (obviously this is officially denied).[citation needed] In exchange for economic assistance from Japan, Tuvalu voted with Japan to overturn the commercial ban on whaling, much to the dismay of New Zealand and Australia.
Tuvalu More Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvalu | 
