What are facts about Tonga?

Answer 1

Kingdom of TONGA

The Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago of 172 islands in the central South West Pacific, south of Samoa, 3580 kms north east of Australia and 650 kms east of Fiji.

The archipelago is also known as The Friendly Islands so narned by Captain Cook when he was welcomed by Chief Finau 'Ulukalala on his first visit to the island.

It is the only surviving monarchy in the South Pacific and the only island nation in the Pacific that was never directly colonised.

AREA 748 sq kms.

GEOGRAPHY Tonga consists of three main groups of 172 islands of which only islands are permanently inhabited. The population is mainly Polynesian. More than one half reside on the main island Tongatapu, where the capital Nukutalofa is situated.

The climate is mild with temperatures generally around 16-21 degrees Celsius. The scenic beauty and non-polluted environment make Tonga an attraction for tourists. However, the country lacks the Natural Resources for developing mainstream industrial and commercial trading opportunities.

POPULATION 97,000 1996] with 20,000 - 30,000 living overseas. The ethnic composition of Tonga is 95.5% Tongan.

CAPITAL Nuku'alofa [population 64,000].

LANGUAGE The Tongan language is part of the Malay-Polynesian language group. Until the early 19th century, Tongan was an oral language when the English alphabet was then adapted. Invariably, the early links between Tonga and Great Britain led to Tonga establishing a bi-lingual position making English as the second language. Other languages are now part of a wider educational curriculum.

POLITICS Politically, Tonga is a constitutional monarchy based on the Westminster model of government. The ruling monarchal genealogy goes back to the first divine ruler of the kingdom 'Ahoeitu in the 10th century BC.

The King is the Head of State with power to have the final say in the decision making process. The King appoints government ministers and governors. Parliament is the legislative body but the Privy Council and system has the democratic model in operation (High Court, Supreme Court and Local Court) with the appeal mechanism in place.

Tonga is considered a politically stable island nation of the South West Pacific region. On the political front, a democratic ideology, which in establishment of a pro-democracy movement whose objective is to ruling power in the country.

CULTURE At the apex of its development, Tongan society became the cultural centre of western Polynesia. The extent of Tonga's influence in Oceania has now become the subject of scholarly research. The country has developed an most elaborate political infrastructure and socially stratified societies in the region.

Development in performing arts particularly in poetry, music and dance reached a high level with distinctive characteristics that point to the weaving, carving and weapon-making were also developed.

As with other Polynesian societies, the Tongans were known seafarers with skills in star navigation. Architecture, agriculture and herbal medicine formed the core of Tonga's ethnoscience traditions. Physical competitive sports such as wrestling, javelin throwing, diving and running were common leisure activities in ancient Tongan society.

Although the population is homogenous, contact with other cultures have had an impact on all aspects of life in Tonga Tongan culture has adapted to the changes demanded by a more sophisticated world environment. However, Tongans are generally traditional in their view of culture & tradition.

Racial abuse and discrimination are new experiences for the Tongans who leave Tonga for countries with more multicultural societies such as Australia With no experience of the brutal reality of racism, their reaction to such discriminatory affitudes are spontaneous, unpredictable, and often lead to physical violence. Although Tongans generally have a teasing sense of humour, they are emotionally sensitive and rely on the tonal effect of any verbal encounter and other non-verbal cues to figure out the context and other party's intention.

The social kinship system is based on the extended family unit supplemented by a communal way of life as the most influential social mode in operation in Tongan society.

EDUCATION The first formal school, Tupou College, was established in 1864 by Methodist church missionary with the full support of King George Tupou I. His Majesty's experience of the new civilization convinced him that the best way to guarantee the survival of Tonga as a nation was to educate his people in the new ways of the foreigners. The political and legislative framework was thus put in place making way for other schools and a strict national policy of compulsory education for every child of 5 to 15 years of age.

Today Tonga has achieved a high literacy level (98%) and a secondary school system that is on a par with or adaptable by a short bridging course, to that of other developing countries in the region like Australia and New Zealand.

The Churches account for 70% of the total school population while government and private institutions account for the rest. The main examinations are the School Certificate at Form IV which is prerequisite to the University Entrance at Form VI. Recent developments in the curriculum have merged the pactfic island nations to a regionalise approach to education.

In recent co-operation with other countries of the region, the government introduced the Pacific Certificate as a regional secondary level certified examination. However, despite the government drive for a national curriculum, the main providers of education such as Churches and private institutions are not obliged to adopt it. 'Atenisi High School, a division of 'Atenisi Institute has adopted the NSW curriculum & syllabus since its establishment in 1966.

At tertiary and technical level, Tonga has 'Atenisi University, a private institution founded in 1970 as a division of Atenisi Institute. The Ministry of Defence in a joint project with the Department of Education administers the Polytech Institute specialising in technical courses. In addition to the Polytech, the Catholic school system has established a technical school. The University of South Pacific (USP) continuing education program through its continuing education or extension centres in Tonga also offers degree level and professional courses.

RELIGION There is no official state religion in Tonga. Religious affiliation is predominantly Christian (90%), namely Protestant 61%; Catholic 16%; Mormon 12%; others 10%. The conversion of King George Tupou I, the political architect of modern Tonga, has had the greatest influence on the religious life of the country. His devotion to Christianity was encapsulated in his famous declaration, "God and Tonga are my heritage."; since then, Christian ethics has played a dominant role in the Tongan way of life.

The constitution declared the Sabbath Day holy. The sanctity of the Sabbath day is strictly observed in the Kingdom, where the law restricts activities that can be carried out on day. Commercial businesses are not allowed to operate on Sunday except for essential trading. Leisure activities such as sports, swimming and even gardening are still prohibited. However, certain aspects of the law have either been amended or revised to accommodate developments in certain key industries such as tourism and trade.

ECONOMIC BASE manufacturing

Major Resources: agriculture and fisheries, trade, mining and

Exports: coconuts; bananas; vanilla; pumpkins; fishing.

Imports: food; live animals; machinery; equipment.

Natural Resources: island scenic sites; unpolluted clear seas and coral reefs; good deep sea commercial fishing grounds; mild climate all year round and a fertile soil.

LIFE EXPECTANCY Male: 61 years Female 65 years

MONETARY UNIT 1 pa'anga [Tongan dollar] T$1.00 = 100 seniti (cents)

TONGAN SERVICE PROVIDERS

The Tongan community in NSW is an emerging growing community many of whom come to Australia via New Zealand. The first wave of Tongans came in the early eighties as immigrants. Many lack fluency in English and experience social isolation, which is partially addressed by a close connection with church involvement and church related activities.

A growing number of Tongans in the Blacktown, Mt Druitt and Penrith school districts choose to settle in the Doonside, Plumpton, Mt Druitt and St Marys area

The following is a list of Tongan-specific and mainstream services providers, ranging from ethnic associations, study centres, education, the media, health, housing and welfare-related providers who can l ssist schools with information and contacts on the Tongan community.

This directory is not exhaustive nor comprehensive. It aims primarily to give teachers, parents and students a frst point of contact. Any additional information regarding omissions, corrections or deletions is welcomed.