: Information from the CIA World Factbook INTRODUCTION GEOGRAPHY

Transcription

1 COUNTRY DATA: Tuvalu : Information from the CIA World Factbook INTRODUCTION In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period. GEOGRAPHY Location Area Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about onehalf of the way from Hawaii to Australia total: 26 sq km country comparison to the world: 237 land: 26 sq km water: 0 sq km Climate Current Weather tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March) Natural Resources fish Total Renewable Water Resources Freshwater Withdrawal Natural Hazards Environmental Issues severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which

2 threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary Population 10,472 (July 2010 est.) PEOPLE country comparison to the world: 224 Ethnic Groups Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4% Religions Languages Literacy Rate Major Infectious Diseases Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6% Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) GOVERNMENT Type Independence parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm 1 October 1978 (from the UK) Constitution 1 October 1978 Legal System English common law supplemented by local customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ECONOMY Agricultural Products Industries coconuts; fish fishing, tourism, copra Import commodities Import Partners Export Commodities Export Partners food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods NA copra, fish NA Per Capita GDP Population below NA%

3 poverty line *CITATIONS: All information included above is extracted from the CIA World Factbook except where noted.

4 Country Data: Information from Human Development Report COUNTRY: Tuvalu General Life Expectancy at Birth (in years) -- Average number of years in School (in years) -- Gross National Income Per Capita (In US Dollars) -- Gender Inequality Female Seats in Parliament (%) 0% Population with at least a Secondary Education Female (% 0f 25 and older) -- Population with at least a Secondary Education Male (% 0f 25 and older) -- Labor Force Participation Female (%) -- Labor Force Participation Male (%) -- Births Attended by Skilled Health Professionals (%) 100% Poverty Population surviving on $1.25 per day (%) -- Empowerment Number of Journalists Imprisoned 0 Corruption Victims (% of people who face a bribe situation in the last year) -- Political Engagement (% percent of people who voiced opinion to public officials) --

5 Sustainability Fossil Fuels as Primary Energy Source (%) -- Renewable Resources as Primary Energy Source (%) -- Population without Access to Water (%) 3% Population Without Access to Sanitation Services (%) 16% Population affected by natural disasters (% between ) -- Human Security Number of Refugees leaving this country -- Number of Internally Displaced People in This Country -- Prevalence of Undernourishment (%) Demographics Urban Residents (% of total Population) 50.4% Health HIV Prevalence in Female Youth (% ages 15-24) -- HIV Prevalence in Male Youth (% ages 15-24) -- HIV Prevalence in Adults (% ages 15-49) -- Other Official Development Assistance Per Capita (in US dollars) $1, Population without Electricity (%) --

6 Cape Verde's Public Expenditure 2% 0.50% 0.00% 3.40% 5.70% Education Health Research and Development Military Debt Payment