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Tonga Islands

Officially the Kingdom of Tonga (Tongan: Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprises 169 islands, 36 of them inhabited. The Kingdom stretches over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles) in a north-south line. The islands that constitute the archipelago lie south of Samoa, about one-third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaiʻi.

Tonga also became known as the Friendly Islands because of the friendly reception accorded to Captain James Cook on his first visit in 1773. He happened to arrive at the time of the ʻinasi festival, the yearly donation of the first fruits to the Tuʻi Tonga, the islands' paramount chief, and received an invitation to the festivities. According to the writer William Mariner, in reality the chiefs had wanted to kill Cook during the gathering, but could not agree on a plan.

Apart from being the only sovereign monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean, Tonga can also lay claim to being the only island nation in the region to have avoided formal colonisation. Tonga plans to become a fully functioning constitutional monarchy after legislative reform and a more fully representative election take place in 2010.

 

Etymology

In many Polynesian languages the word tonga means "south". The name of Tonga derives from the word Tongahahake, which translates to "Southeast", originally meaning "the wind that blows from the Southeast". The proper pronunciation of the name 'Tonga' is /toŋa/, and not /tɒŋɡə/, a pronunciation used for an Indian carriage spelled in the same way and so causing confusion.

 

History

An Austronesian-speaking group linked to the archeological construct known as the Lapita cultural complex reached and colonised Tonga around 1500–1000 BCE. (Scholars continue to debate the dates of the initial settlement of Tonga.) Reaching the Tongan islands (without modern navigational tools and techniques) was a remarkable feat accomplished by the Lapita peoples. Not much is known about Tonga before European contact because of the lack of a writing system during prehistoric times. But oral history has persisted, and Europeans have recorded it (and given it Eurocentric interpretations). (The Tongan people first encountered Europeans in 1616 when the Dutch vessel Eendracht made a short visit to the islands to trade.)

By the 12th century Tongans, and the Tongan paramount chief, the Tuʻi, had a reputation across the central Pacific, from Niue to Tikopia, leading some historians to speak of a 'Tongan Empire'. In the 15th century and again in the 17th, civil war erupted. Into this situation the first European explorers arrived, beginning in 1616 with the Dutch explorers Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire (who called on the northern island of Niuatoputapu), and in 1643 with Abel Tasman(who visited Tongatapu and Haʻapai). Later noteworthy European visitors included James Cook (British Navy) in 1773, 1774, and 1777, Alessandro Malaspina (Spanish Navy) in 1793, the first London missionaries in 1797, and the Wesleyan Methodist Walter Lawry Buller in 1822.

In 1845 the ambitious young warrior, strategist, and orator Tāufaʻāhau united Tonga into a kingdom. He held the chiefly title of Tuʻi Kanokupolu, but was baptised with the name King George. In 1875, with the help of missionary Shirley Waldemar Baker, he declared Tonga a constitutional monarchy, formally adopted the western royal style, emancipated the "serfs", enshrined a code of law, land tenure, and freedom of the press, and limited the power of the chiefs.

Tonga became a British-protected state under a Treaty of Friendship on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs tried to oust the second king. Within the British Empire, which posted no higher permanent representative on Tonga than a British Consul (1901–1970), Tonga formed part of the British Western Pacific Territories (under a colonial High Commissioner, residing on Fiji) from 1901 until 1952. Although under the protection of Britain, Tonga remained the only Pacific nation never to have given up its monarchical government - as did Tahiti and Hawaiʻi. The Tongan monarchy, unlike that of the UK, follows a straight line of rulers.

The Treaty of Friendship and Tonga's protectorate status ended in 1970 under arrangements established by Queen Salote Tupou III prior to her death in 1965. Tonga joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970 (atypically as an autochthonous monarchy, that is one with its own hereditary monarch rather than Elizabeth II), and the United Nations in September 1999. While exposed to colonial pressures, Tonga has never lost indigenous governance, a fact that makes Tonga unique in the Pacific and gives Tongans much pride, as well as confidence in their monarchical system. As part of cost cutting measures across the British Foreign Service, the British Government closed the British High Commission in Nukuʻalofa in March 2006, transferring representation of British interests in Tonga to the UK High Commissioner in Fiji. The last resident British High Commissioner was Paul Nessling.

 

Geography

Located in Oceania, Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, directly south of Western Samoa and about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. Its 176 islands, 36 of them inhabited, are divided into three main groups--Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu--and cover an 800-kilometre (500 mi.)-long north-south line. The largest island, Tongatapu, on which the capital city of Nukuʻalofa is located, covers 257 square kilometres (99 sq. mi.). Geologically the Tongan islands are of two types: most have a limestone base formed from uplifted coral formations; others consist of limestone overlaying a volcanic base.

 

Other Info

Oficial name:

Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga

 

Independence:

4 June 1970

 

Area:

748 km2

 

Inhabitants:

103.000

 

Languages:

Lea fakatonga

English [eng] Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English

More information.

 

Niuafo'ou [num] 690 (1981 SIL). Niuafo'ou and 'Eua islands. Dialects: Probably a dialect of East Uvean (Wallisian). Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, Samoic-Outlier, East Uvean-Niuafo'ou

More information.

 

Tongan [ton] 96,334 in Tonga (1998). Population total all countries: 105,319. Also spoken in American Samoa, Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Niue, USA, Vanuatu. Alternate names: Tonga. Dialects: Close to Niue. There are slight dialect differences from north to south. Lexical similarity 86% with Wallisian, 66% with Samoan. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Tongic

More information.

 

 

Extinct languages

Niuatoputapu [nkp] Extinct. Ethnic population: 1,630 (1981). Niuatoputapu Island. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, Samoic-Outlier

 

Capital city:

Nuku'Alofa

 

Meaning country name:

From the Tongan "South" or "southern", describing the islands' location relative to Samoa.

Friendly Islands (former name): named by Captain James Cook in 1773 after the friendliness and hospitality of the people he met on the islands.

 

Description Flag:

The flag of Tonga was adopted on November 4, 1875.

The flag looks similar to the flag of the Red Cross. The flag was originally identical to that flag, but to avoid confusion, it was changed so that the red cross appeared as a canton of a red ensign, making it similar to the 17th century red ensign. The flag has been in use since 1864 but was officially adopted in 1875. The constitution of Tonga states that the flag shall never be altered.

 

Coat of arms:

The Coat of arms of Tonga (ko e Sila ʻo Tonga) was designed in 1875 with the creation of the constitution. The three swords represent the three dynasties or lines of the kings of Tonga, namely the Tuʻi Tonga, Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua and the current Tuʻi Kanokupolu). Tonga was finally united under one king, King Siaosi Tupou I, who then orchestrated the formation of the first formal government and also the coat of arms. The dove with the olive branch symbolises the wish for God's peace to reign in Tonga forever (the dove and olive branch are taken directly from the story of Noah and the Great Flood in the Holy Bible). The three stars symbolise the main island groups of Tonga, which are Tongatapu, Vavaʻu and Haʻapai. The Crown symbolises the ruling monarchy, the King of Tonga. The text on the scroll at the bottom reads Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku Tofiʻa in the Tongan language: God and Tonga are my inheritance.

There is no official specification of how exactly the seal should look like. Even the shield on the front gate of the late king's palace is different from the old black/white copy used by the (ex-) government printer on all official stationery, is different from the copy on the prime minister's office webpage, etc. Some have pointed crowns, some rounded; some have normal flags, others have flags looking more like banners; some use the modern orthography, some the old (Ko e Otua mo Toga ko hoku Tofia); some have black swords, others white; and so forth.

 

Motto:

"Ko e 'Otua mo Tonga ko hoku tofi'a"

 

National Anthem: Ko e fasi 'o e tu'i 'o e 'Otu Tonga

 

Tongan lyrics (modern spelling)

 

'E 'otua māfimafi

ko homau 'eiki koe

ko koe ko e falala'anga

mo e 'ofa ki Tonga.

'Afio hifo 'emau lotu

'aia 'oku mau faí ni

mo ke tali homau loto

ʻo maluʻi ʻa Tupou.

 

English lyrics (literal translation)

 

Oh, almighty God!

You are our Lord,

It is You, the pillar

And the love of Tonga.

Look down on our prayer

That is what we do now

And may You answer our wish

To protect Tupou.

 

Internet Page: www.govt.to

www.pmo.gov.to

www.tonganz.com/photobank

www.tongaholiday.com

 

Tonga in diferent languages

 

eng | afr | arg | ast | bre | cat | ces | cor | cym | dan | dsb | est | eus | fao | fin | fra | frp | fry | fur | gla | glg | hat | hrv | hsb | hun | ina | isl | ita | jav | jnf | kin | lat | lav | lim | lin | lit | lld | mlg | mlt | nld | nor | pol | por | que | roh | ron | run | rup | scn | slk | slv | sme | smo | spa | sqi | srd | swa | swe | tet | ton | tpi | tur | vor | wln | wol | zza: Tonga

bos | crh | kaa | mol | slo | tuk | uzb: Tonga / Тонга

deu | ltz | nds: Tonga / Tonga

ind | msa: Tonga / توڠڬا

aze: Tonqa / Тонга

bam: Tɔnga

epo: Tongo

fij: Toga

gle: Tonga / Tonga

glv: Yn Tongey

kmr: Tonga / Тонга / تۆنگا

kur: Tonga / تۆنگا

nrm: Tounga

oci: Tònga

rmy: Tonga / तोन्गा

smg: Tuonga

som: Toonga

tah: Toʻa

vie: Tông-ga

vol: Tonguäns

abq | alt | bul | che | chm | kir | kjh | kom | krc | kum | mkd | mon | rus | tyv | udm: Тонга (Tonga)

bak | srp | tat: Тонга / Tonga

bel: Тонга / Tonha

chv: Тонгӑ (Tongă)

kaz: Тонга / Tonga / تونگا

kbd: Тонгэ (Tongă)

oss: Тонгӕ (Tongä)

tgk: Тонга / تانگه / Tonga

ukr: Тонґа (Tonga)

ara: تونغا (Tūnġā); تونجا (Tūngā)

fas: تونگا / Tongâ

prs: تونگا (Tōngā)

pus: تونګا (Tongā)

uig: تونگا / Ton’ga / Тонга

urd: ٹونگا (Ṫôngā); تونگا (Tôngā)

div: ޓޮނގާ (Ṫoṅgā)

heb: טונגה (Ṭôngah)

lad: טונגה / Tonga

yid: טאָנגאַ (Tonga)

amh: ቶንጋ (Tonga)

ell: Τόνγκα (Tóngka); Τόγκα (Tógka)

hye: Տոնգա (Tonga); Թոնգա (Ṭonga)

kat: ტონგა (Tonga)

hin: टोंगा (Ṭoṁgā)

ben: টোঙ্গা (Ṭoṅgā); টঙ্গা (Ṭôṅgā)

pan: ਟੋਨਗਾ (Ṭongā)

kan: ಟೋಂಗ (Ṭōṁga)

mal: ടോംഗ (Ṭōṁga); ടോന്ഗ (Ṭōnga)

tam: டொங்கா (Ṭoṅkā); தொங்கா (Toṅkā); டோங்கா (Ṭōṅkā)

tel: టోంగా (Ṭōṁgā)

zho: 湯加/汤加 (Tāngjiā)

jpn: トンガ (Tonga)

kor: 통가 (Tongga)

mya: တာန္ဂာ (Tãga)

tha: ตองกา (Tɔ̄ṅkā); ท็องกา (Tʰɔṅkā)

khm: តុងហ្គា (Tuṅhkā)

 

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Uploaded on March 9, 2010