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GovernmentCountry name
Conventional long form Kingdom of Tonga
Conventional short form Tonga Local long form Pule'anga Tonga Local short form Tonga Former Friendly Islands Government type
Constitutional monarchy
Capital
Name Nuku'alofa
Geographic coordinates 21 08 S, 175 12 W Time difference UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Administrative divisions
3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u Independence
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate) National holiday
National Day, 4 November (1875) Constitution
4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967 Legal system
English common law
International law organization participation
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch
Chief of state
King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012); note - King George TUPOU V died on 18 March 2012 in Hong Kong; he was succeeded by his brother Crown Prince TUPOUTO'A Lavaka, who took the throne name TUPOU VI Head of government Prime Minister Lord Siale'ataonga TU'IVAKANO (since 22 December 2010) Cabinet Cabinet is nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch Note There is also a Privy Council that advises the monarch Elections The monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of parliament and appointed by the monarch Election results Lord Siale'ataonga TU'IVAKANO elected by parliament on 21 December 2010 with 14 of 26 votes Legislative branch
Unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (26 seats - 9 for nobles elected from among the country's 29 nobles, 17 members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) Elections Last held on 25 November 2010 (next to be held in 2014) Election results Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - independents 67.3%, Democratic Party 28.5%; seats - Democratic Party 12, independents 5 Judicial branch
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (Chief Justice and high court justices from overseas chosen and approved by Privy Council) Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands [Samuela 'Akilisi POHIVA]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO]; Sustainable Nation-Building Party [Sione FONUA]; Tonga Democratic Labor Party [NA]; Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM [Uliti UATA] Political pressure groups and leaders
Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE] International organization participation
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in the us
Chief of mission
Ambassador Sonatane Tu'akinamolahi TAUMOEPEAU-TUPOU Chancery 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 Telephone [1] (917) 369-1025FAX [1] (917) 369-1024 Consulate(s) general San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the us
The US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga Flag description
Red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross reflects the deep-rooted Christianity in Tonga; red represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice; white signifies purity National symbol(s)
Red cross on white field; arms equal length National anthem
Name
"Ko e fasi `o e tu"i `o e `Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands) Lyrics/music Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT Note In use since 1875; the anthem is more commonly known as "Fasi Fakafonua" (National Song)
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Tonga (Nuku'alofa):
 
GPS points from Tonga (Nuku'alofa)
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Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.