Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga is a small South Pacific island nation with approximately 104,000 residents, spread across an archipelago of 170 islands located between Hawaii and New Zealand. The total surface area of the country is approximately 470 square kilometers (or 290 square miles), with 70% of the population residing on the main island of Tongatapu. English and Tongan are the two official languages of the country, which has a literacy rate of more than 98%. Formerly known as The Friendly Islands, the area united in 1845 under a single kingdom but became a British protectorate in 1900. It secured independence in 1970, and in 2010, Tongans voted for the first popularly elected Parliament, ending 165 years of feudal rule. The monarch continues to serve ...