Portal:Tuvalu

Tuvalu
Tuvalu
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ISO 3166 code	TV

The Tuvalu Portal

A beach at Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu, on a sunny day

Tuvalu (/tuːˈvɑːluː/ ^ⓘ too-VAH-loo), formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Vanuatu, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna, and north of Fiji. Tuvalu is composed of three reef islands and six atolls. They are spread out between the latitude of 5° and 10° south and between the longitude of 176° and 180°. They lie west of the International Date Line. The 2017 census determined that Tuvalu had a population of 10,645, making it the second-least populous country in the world, behind Vatican City. The total land area of the islands of Tuvalu is 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi).

The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians, according to well established theories regarding a migration of Polynesians into the Pacific that began about three thousand years ago. Long before European contact with the Pacific islands, Polynesians frequently voyaged by canoe between the islands. Polynesian navigation skills enabled them to make elaborately planned journeys in either double-hulled sailing canoes or outrigger canoes. Scholars believe that the Polynesians spread out from Samoa and Tonga into the Tuvaluan atolls, which then served as a stepping stone for further migration into the Polynesian outliers in Melanesia and Micronesia.

In 1569, Spanish navigator and documentor Álvaro de Mendaña became the first European to sail through the archipelago, sighting the island of Nui during an expedition he was making in search of Terra Australis. The island of Funafuti was named Ellice's Island in 1819. Later, the whole group was named Ellice Islands by English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay. In the late 19th century, Great Britain claimed control over the Ellice Islands, designating them as within their sphere of influence. Between 9 and 16 October 1892, Captain Gibson of HMS Curacoa declared each of the Ellice Islands to be a British protectorate. Britain assigned a resident commissioner to administer the Ellice Islands as part of the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT). From 1916 to 1975, they were managed as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony. (Full article...)

Selected articles -

Image 1
Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) on Funafuti atoll in Tuvalu is the only hospital in the country, and the primary provider of medical services for all the islands of Tuvalu. The hospital is located about 1.3 kilometres north from the centre of Funafuti on Fongafale islet.

For 2010, the total health budget was AUD $4,696,042. (Full article...)
Image 2

Enele Sosene Sopoaga PC (born 10 February 1956) is a Tuvaluan diplomat and politician who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019.

Sopoaga was elected to Parliament in the 2010 general election. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Environment and Labour in Prime Minister Maatia Toafa's short-lived government from September to December 2010. Following an unsuccessful bid for the premiership in December 2010 (with Toafa's support), he became leader of the Opposition to prime minister Willy Telavi's government. He became caretaker prime minister on 1 August 2013 following Telavi's removal by the Governor General, in the context of a political crisis. A day later, on 2 August 2013, the opposition successfully voted out Telavi's government in a no confidence vote. Following this, a ballot was held to elect the new prime minister of Tuvalu and Sopoaga won with 8 votes to 4. He was sworn in on 5 August 2013, and created his ministry the same day. (Full article...)
Image 3

Location of Fongafale island in the Funafuti atoll

Fongafale (also spelled Fogale or Fagafale) is the largest of Funafuti's islets in Tuvalu. It is a long narrow sliver of land, 12 kilometres long and between 10 and 400 metres wide, with the South Pacific Ocean and reef on the east and the protected lagoon on the west. The north part is the Tengako peninsula, and Funafuti International Airport runs from northeast to southwest on the widest part of the island, with the village and administrative centre of Vaiaku on the lagoon side.

On Fongafale, the Funafuti Kaupule is responsible for approval of the construction of houses or extensions to existing buildings on private land, and the Lands Management Committee is the responsible authority in relation to lands leased by government. (Full article...)
Image 4

Location of Tuvalu

Tuvalu, previously known as the Ellice Islands, is an island country in Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of six atolls and three reef islands (islands made of rocks from coral skeletons), with a total land area of 26 km² (10 sq mi). Its climate is hot and humid, with annual rainfall varying from 2,500–3,500 mm (98–138 in). The soil is very weakly developed, consisting mostly of coral sand and calcium carbonate-rich regosols. Vegetation on the islands predominantly consists of coconuts, screw palms, Casuarina, creepers, and grass, although some native forest exists. Previously, the islands were likely covered with Pisonia woodland.

Thirty-seven species of birds have been recorded on Tuvalu, one of which has been introduced by humans. Thirteen of these species, nine of which are seabirds, breed in the country. The Pacific reef-heron, Pacific imperial-pigeon, and buff-banded rail, along with the introduced red junglefowl, are the remaining breeding species. Nine species of shorebird, eight species of seabird, mallards, and long-railed koels are migratory visitors to the islands. Four species of birds found in Tuvalu are globally threatened; the bristle-thighed curlew, bar-tailed godwit, and gray-tailed tattler are near-threatened, while the Phoenix petrel is endangered. Before the arrival of humans, the birds of the islands may have also included kingfishers, Acrocephalus warblers, Aplonis starlings, Prosobonia sandpipers, and fruit doves. However, higher sea levels at that time might have eliminated fresh water sources on most of the atolls, making them unsuitable for pigeons or starlings. (Full article...)
Image 5

Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC) is a state-owned enterprise of Tuvalu, which provides fixed-line telephone communications to subscribers on each of the islands of Tuvalu. Each island in Tuvalu relies on TTC for the use of a satellite dish for inter-island telephone communication and internet access. TTC also provides mobile phone services on Funafuti and Vaitupu. TTC is the sole provider of Telecommunications in Tuvalu. TTC is established by the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation Act 1993. (Full article...)
Image 6
Tuvalu competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. The country's participation at Rio de Janeiro marked its third consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 2008. The delegation included a single track and field athlete: sprinter Etimoni Timuani. Etimoni was also the nation's flagbearer in the Parade of Nations. He did not progress past the first round of his men's 100 metres competition. (Full article...)
Image 7
A Tuvaluan police officer during the visit of President Tsai of the Republic of China.

Crime in Tuvalu is not a significant social problem due to small population, geographic isolation, and low development.

Tuvalu, like other island nations in the West Pacific, is utilised as a staging point in the illicit drug trade between South East Asia and Australasia. There were 2 murders in 2012, resulting in a per capita average higher than most countries.
Tuvalu has a police service and an island based Magistrates Court system. Serious offences, such as rape and murder, are dealt with in the High Court of Tuvalu. (Full article...)
Image 8
Pantropical spotted dolphins porpoising

This is a list of the mammal species recorded in Tuvalu. There are three mammal species in Tuvalu identified in the IUCN Red List, all of which are marine mammals of the order Cetacea: ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens), pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata), and pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata).

The literature review by Miller (2006) found four additional cetaceans reported: orca or killer whale (Orcinus orca), spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). The pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) is found in the lists of both Miller and the IUCN. (Full article...)
Image 9
Asenate Manoa (born 23 May 1992) is a Tuvaluan track and field athlete who represented Tuvalu at the 2008 Summer Olympics, at the 2009 World Championships & 2011 World Championships and at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Manoa represented Tuvalu in the sport of powerlifting at the Pacific Games 2015 and won a bronze medal in the 72 kg Female category. She was the first woman to represent Tuvalu at the Olympics.

Manoa was born on Kioa island in Fiji. (Full article...)
Image 10

Tuvalu is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia, with a population of 11,192 per the 2017 census. The economy of Tuvalu is constrained by its remoteness and lack of economies of scale. Government revenues largely come from fishing licences (primarily paid under the South Pacific Tuna Treaty); direct grants from international donors (government donors as well as from the Asian Development Bank); and income from the Tuvalu Trust Fund. The lease of its highly fortuitous .tv Top Level Domain (TLD) also contributes revenue. The sale of stamps since the independence of Tuvalu in 1976 has been an important source of revenue for the country and government. However, such revenue has significantly declined in recent years. Tuvalu has hardly any tourism. It has no tour guides, tour operators or organised activities and no cruise ships visit.

The Tuvalu Trust Fund was established in 1987 by the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to help supplement national deficits, underpin economic development, and help the nation achieve greater financial autonomy. The Fund has contributed roughly A$79 million, 15% of the annual government budget each year since 1990. With a capital value of about 2.5 times GDP, the Trust Fund provides an important cushion for Tuvalu's volatile income sources from fishing and royalties from the sale of the .tv domain. (Full article...)
Image 11
Pulaka, Cyrtosperma merkusii, or swamp taro, is a crop grown mainly in Tuvalu and an important source of carbohydrates for the area's inhabitants. It is a "swamp crop" similar to taro, but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots."
The same plant is known as ‘‘pulaka’’ in Niue, babai in Kiribati, puraka in Cook Islands, pula’a in Samoa, via, via kana or via kau in Fiji, pulaka in Tokelau, simiden in Chuuk, swam taro in Papua New Guinea, and navia in Vanuatu.

Pulaka roots need to be cooked for hours to reduce toxicity in the corms, but are rich in nutrients, especially calcium. Pulaka is an important part of Tuvalu cultural and culinary tradition, now under threat from rising sea level and displacement from the growing use of imported food products. (Full article...)
Image 12
The Law of Tuvalu comprises the legislation voted into law by the Parliament of Tuvalu and statutory instruments that become law; certain Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom (during the time Tuvalu was either a British protectorate or British colony); the common law; and customary law (particularly in relation to the ownership of land). The land tenure system is largely based on kaitasi (extended family ownership). (Full article...)
Image 13

The Flag of Tuvalu

This timeline of the history of Tuvalu chronologically lists important events occurring within the present political boundaries of the Pacific island state of Tuvalu. This time line is introduced by the theories as to the origins of the Polynesian people and the migration across the Pacific Ocean to create Polynesia, which includes the islands of Tuvalu. (Full article...)
Image 14

The National Bank of Tuvalu (NBT) is the sole provider in Tuvalu of banking services involving taking deposits, making loans and engaging in foreign exchange transactions. In 2020, its assets were AUD$128 million, or 160% of the GDP of Tuvalu.

There is no monetary authority or central bank in Tuvalu. The NBT performs some monetary functions for the government, including the holding of government accounts and foreign assets. (Full article...)
Image 15

The monarchy of Tuvalu is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Tuvalu. The current Tuvaluan monarch and head of state since 8 September 2022 is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Tuvaluan Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Tuvalu and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Tuvaluan state. However, the King is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role.

All executive authority is vested in the monarch, and royal assent is required for the Tuvaluan Parliament to enact laws and for letters patent and Orders in Council to have legal effect. Most of the powers are exercised by the elected members of parliament, the ministers of the Crown generally drawn from amongst them, and the judges and justices of the peace. Other powers vested in the monarch, such as the appointment of a prime minister, are significant but are treated only as reserve powers and as an important security part of the role of the monarchy. (Full article...)

Selected picture -

Canoe carving on Nanumea

Paopao outrigger canoes are still constructed today such as this one being carved on Nanumea. During pre-European-contact times there was frequent canoe voyaging between the islands as Polynesian navigation skills are recognised to have allowed deliberate journeys on double-hull sailing canoes or outrigger canoes.

General images -

The following are images from various Tuvalu-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Fualifeke Islet (from Funafuti Conservation Area)
Image 2Tamala of Nukufetau atoll, Ellice Islands (circa 1900–1910) (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 3Green sea turtle swimming towards surface (from Funafuti Conservation Area)
Image 4Black noddy (from Funafuti Conservation Area)
Image 5A portrait of a woman on Funafuti in 1894 by Count Rudolf Festetics de Tolna. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 6Main Street in Funafuti, (circa 1905). (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 7The atoll of Funafuti; borings into a coral reef and the results, being the report of the Coral Reef Committee of the Royal Society (1904). (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 8Tuvaluan man in traditional costume drawn by Alfred Agate in 1841 during the United States Exploring Expedition. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 9Interior of a maneapa on Funafuti, Tuvalu. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 10Interior of a maneapa on Funafuti, Tuvalu (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 11Black noddy calling at colony (from Funafuti Conservation Area)
Image 12M1918 155mm gun, manned by the 5th Defense Battalion on Funafuti. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 131st Lt. Louis Zamperini, peers through a hole in his B-24D Liberator 'Super Man' made by a 20mm shell over Nauru, 20 April 1943. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 1440mm antiaircraft gun from the United States Marine Corps' 2d Airdrome Battalion defending the LST offload at Nukufetau on August 28, 1943. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 15The atoll of Nanumea (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 16Ocean side of Funafuti atoll showing the storm dunes, the highest point on the atoll. (from Geography of Tuvalu)
Image 17The atoll of Nukufetau (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 18The reef island of Niutao (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 19A map of Tuvalu. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 20Scaevola taccada and Guettarda speciosa grow near the beach on Nanumea Atoll (from Geography of Tuvalu)
Image 21The reef island of Niulakita (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 22Landing cargo on the reef at Niutao (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 23Fualefeke Islet (from Geography of Tuvalu)
Image 24The reef island of Nanumanga (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 25Funafuti (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 26Funafuti (from Funafuti Conservation Area)
Image 27The atoll of Nui (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 28The atoll of Vaitupu (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 29Fualifeke Islet (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 30Polynesia is the largest of three major cultural areas in the Pacific Ocean. Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the Polynesian triangle. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 31Ocean side of Funafuti atoll showing the storm dunes, the highest point on the atoll. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 32Funafuti atoll (from Geography of Tuvalu)
Image 33Lat. and Long. (Funafuti) (from Geography of Tuvalu)
Image 34Martin Kleis (1850–1908) with Kotalo Kleis and their son Hans Martin Kleis. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 35A man from the Nukufetau atoll, 1841, drawn by Alfred Agate. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 36Green sea turtle (from Funafuti Conservation Area)
Image 37A Tuvaluan dancer at Auckland's Pasifika Festival. (from History of Tuvalu)
Image 38Nukufetau atoll. (from Geography of Tuvalu)
Image 39The atoll of Nukulaelae (from Coral reefs of Tuvalu)
Image 40Woman on Funafuti, Harry Clifford Fassett (1900). (from History of Tuvalu)

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Tuvalu could only afford to become a member of the United Nations after selling its Internet country code top-level domain?
... that the coral reefs of Tuvalu include the Funafuti Conservation Area, which encompasses 20 per cent of the reef area of Funafuti atoll?

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More did you know

DYK Question Mark Right

At the 2013 Pacific Mini Games, Tuau Lapua Lapua from Nanumanga won Tuvalu's first ever gold medal in an international competition in the men's 62 kilogram snatch. (He also won bronze in the clean and jerk, and obtained the silver medal overall for the combined event.)
At the 2015 Pacific Games, Telupe Iosefa from Nukulaelae won the gold medal in the powerlifting 120 kg male division.

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