Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

tuvalumore about tuvalu

tuvalu


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  Tuvalu 
  n  1:  an  island  country  on  the  Tuvalu  islands;  formerly  part  of 
  the  British  colony  of  Gilbert  and  Ellice  Islands  until 
  it  withdrew  in  1075  and  became  independent  in  1978  [syn: 
  {Tuvalu}] 
  2:  a  group  of  coral  islands  in  Micronesia  southwest  of  Hawaii 
  [syn:  {Tuvalu},  {Ellice  Islands}] 
 
  From  The  CIA  World  Factbook  (1995)  [world95]: 
 
  Tuvalu 
 
  Tuvalu:Geography 
 
  Location:  Oceania,  island  group  consisting  of  nine  coral  atolls  in  the 
  South  Pacific  Ocean,  about  one-half  of  the  way  from  Hawaii  to 
  Australia 
 
  Map  references:  Oceania 
 
  Area: 
  total  area:  26  sq  km 
  land  area:  26  sq  km 
  comparative  area:  about  0.1  times  the  size  of  Washington,  DC 
 
  Land  boundaries:  0  km 
 
  Coastline:  24  km 
 
  Maritime  claims: 
  contiguous  zone:  24  nm 
  exclusive  economic  zone:  200  nm 
  territorial  sea:  12  nm 
 
  International  disputes:  none 
 
  Climate:  tropical;  moderated  by  easterly  trade  winds  (March  to 
  November);  westerly  gales  and  heavy  rain  (November  to  March) 
 
  Terrain:  very  low-lying  and  narrow  coral  atolls 
 
  Natural  resources:  fish 
 
  Land  use: 
  arable  land:  0% 
  permanent  crops:  0% 
  meadows  and  pastures:  0% 
  forest  and  woodland:  0% 
  other:  100% 
  note:  Tuvalu's  nine  coral  atolls  have  enough  soil  to  grow  coconuts  and 
  support  subsistence  agriculture 
 
  Irrigated  land:  NA  sq  km 
 
  Environment: 
  current  issues:  since  there  are  no  streams  or  rivers  and  groundwater 
  is  not  potable,  all  water  needs  must  be  met  by  catchment  systems  with 
  storage  facilities;  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 
  natural  hazards:  severe  tropical  storms  are  rare 
  international  agreements:  party  to  -  Climate  Change,  Endangered 
  Species,  Marine  Dumping,  Ozone  Layer  Protection,  Ship  Pollution; 
  signed,  but  not  ratified  -  Biodiversity,  Law  of  the  Sea 
 
  Tuvalu:People 
 
  Population:  9,991  (July  1995  est.) 
 
  Age  structure: 
  0-14  years:  36%  (female  1,787;  male  1,852) 
  15-64  years:  59%  (female  3,105;  male  2,764) 
  65  years  and  over:  5%  (female  258;  male  225)  (July  1995  est.) 
 
  Population  growth  rate:  1.58%  (1995  est.) 
 
  Birth  rate:  24.82  births/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Death  rate:  9.01  deaths/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Net  migration  rate:  0  migrant(s)/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Infant  mortality  rate:  27.9  deaths/1,000  live  births  (1995  est.) 
 
  Life  expectancy  at  birth: 
  total  population:  63.15  years 
  male:  61.87  years 
  female:  64.34  years  (1995  est.) 
 
  Total  fertility  rate:  3.11  children  born/woman  (1995  est.) 
 
  Nationality: 
  noun:  Tuvaluans(s) 
  adjective:  Tuvaluan 
 
  Ethnic  divisions:  Polynesian  96% 
 
  Religions:  Church  of  Tuvalu  (Congregationalist)  97%,  Seventh-Day 
  Adventist  1.4%,  Baha'i  1%,  other  0.6% 
 
  Languages:  Tuvaluan  English 
 
  Literacy:  NA% 
 
  Labor  force:  NA 
  by  occupation:  NA 
 
  Tuvalu:Government 
 
  Names: 
  conventional  long  form:  none 
  conventional  short  form:  Tuvalu 
  former:  Ellice  Islands 
 
  Digraph:  TV 
 
  Type:  democracy;  began  debating  republic  status  in  1992 
 
  Capital:  Funafuti 
 
  Administrative  divisions:  none 
 
  Independence:  1  October  1978  (from  UK) 
 
  National  holiday:  Independence  Day  1  October  (1978) 
 
  Constitution:  1  October  1978 
 
  Legal  system:  NA 
 
  Suffrage:  18  years  of  age;  universal 
 
  Executive  branch: 
  chief  of  state:  Queen  ELIZABETH  II  (since  6  February  1952), 
  represented  by  Governor  General  Tulaga  MANUELLA  (since  NA  June  1994) 
  head  of  government:  Prime  Minister  Kamuta  LATASI  (since  10  December 
  1993);  Deputy  Prime  Minister  Otinielu  TAUSI  (since  10  December  1993) 
  cabinet:  Cabinet;  appointed  by  the  governor  general  on  recommendation 
  of  the  prime  minister 
 
  Legislative  branch:  unicameral 
  Parliament  (Palamene):  elections  last  held  25  November  1993  (next  to 
  be  held  by  NA  1997);  results  -  percent  of  vote  NA  seats  -  (12  total) 
 
  Judicial  branch:  High  Court 
 
  Political  parties  and  leaders:  none 
 
  Member  of:  ACP,  AsDB  C  (special),  ESCAP,  IFRCS  (associate),  INTELSAT 
  (nonsignatory  user),  SPARTECA  SPC,  SPF,  UNESCO,  UPU,  WHO 
 
  Diplomatic  representation  in  US:  Tuvalu  has  no  mission  in  the  US 
 
  US  diplomatic  representation:  none 
 
  Flag:  light  blue  with  the  flag  of  the  UK  in  the  upper  hoist-side 
  quadrant;  the  outer  half  of  the  flag  represents  a  map  of  the  country 
  with  nine  yellow  five-pointed  stars  symbolizing  the  nine  islands 
 
  Economy 
 
  Overview:  Tuvalu  consists  of  a  scattered  group  of  nine  coral  atolls 
  with  poor  soil.  The  country  has  no  known  mineral  resources  and  few 
  exports.  Subsistence  farming  and  fishing  are  the  primary  economic 
  activities.  The  islands  are  too  small  and  too  remote  for  development 
  of  a  tourist  industry.  Government  revenues  largely  come  from  the  sale 
  of  stamps  and  coins  and  worker  remittances.  Substantial  income  is 
  received  annually  from  an  international  trust  fund  established  in  1987 
  by  Australia,  NZ  and  the  UK  and  supported  also  by  Japan  and  South 
  Korea. 
 
  National  product:  GDP  -  purchasing  power  parity  -  $7.8  million  (1993 
  est.) 
 
  National  product  real  growth  rate:  NA% 
 
  National  product  per  capita:  $800  (1993  est.) 
 
  Inflation  rate  (consumer  prices):  2.9%  (1989) 
 
  Unemployment  rate:  NA% 
 
  Budget: 
  revenues:  $4.3  million 
  expenditures:  $4.3  million,  including  capital  expenditures  of  $NA 
  (1989  est.) 
 
  Exports:  $165,000  (f.o.b.,  1989) 
  commodities:  copra 
  partners:  Fiji,  Australia,  NZ 
 
  Imports:  $4.4  million  (c.i.f.,  1989) 
  commodities:  food,  animals,  mineral  fuels,  machinery,  manufactured 
  goods 
  partners:  Fiji,  Australia,  NZ 
 
  External  debt:  $NA 
 
  Industrial  production:  growth  rate  NA% 
 
  Electricity: 
  capacity:  2,600  kW 
  production:  3  million  kWh 
  consumption  per  capita:  330  kWh  (1990) 
 
  Industries:  fishing,  tourism,  copra 
 
  Agriculture:  coconuts  and  fish 
 
  Economic  aid: 
  recipient:  US  commitments,  including  Ex-Im  (FY70-87),  $1  million; 
  Western  (non-US)  countries,  ODA  and  OOF  bilateral  commitments 
  (1970-89),  $101  million 
 
  Currency:  1  Tuvaluan  dollar  ($T)  or  1  Australian  dollar  ($A)  =  100 
  cents 
 
  Exchange  rates:  Tuvaluan  dollars  ($T)  or  Australian  dollars  ($A)  per 
  US$1  -  1.3058  (January  1995),  1.3667  (1994),  1.4704  (1993),  1.3600 
  (1992),  1.2835  (1991),  1.2799  (1990) 
 
  Fiscal  year:  NA 
 
  Tuvalu:Transportation 
 
  Railroads:  0  km 
 
  Highways: 
  total:  8  km 
  unpaved:  gravel  8  km 
 
  Ports:  Funafuti,  Nukufetau 
 
  Merchant  marine: 
  total:  8  ships  (1,000  GRT  or  over)  totaling  44,473  GRT/73,652  DWT 
  ships  by  type:  cargo  1,  chemical  tanker  4,  oil  tanker  1, 
  passenger-cargo  1,  refrigerated  cargo  1 
 
  Airports: 
  total:  1 
  with  unpaved  runways  1,524  to  2,438  m:  1 
 
  Tuvalu:Communications 
 
  Telephone  system:  108  telephones;  300  radiotelephones 
  local:  NA 
  intercity:  NA 
  international:  NA 
 
  Radio: 
  broadcast  stations:  AM  1,  FM  0,  shortwave  0 
  radios:  4,000 
 
  Television: 
  broadcast  stations:  0 
  televisions:  NA 
 
  Tuvalu:Defense  Forces 
 
  Branches:  no  military  forces;  Police  Force 
 
  Defense  expenditures:  $NA,  NA%  of  GDP 
 
 
 




more about tuvalu