Tuvalu History

By | March 8, 2021

Tuvalu is a small island nation located in the South Pacific, and is comprised of 9 small atolls and 4 reef islands. According to homosociety, it has a population of around 11,000 people and the official language is Tuvaluan. The currency of Tuvalu is the Australian Dollar (AUD). Christianity is the main religion practiced in Tuvalu, followed by Islam and other minority religions. The economy of Tuvalu relies heavily on foreign aid as well as fishing and tourism. Agriculture also plays an important role in the economy with crops such as coconuts, taro, breadfruit, yams, and bananas being grown. Tourism also contributes to the economy with visitors coming to experience its beautiful beaches and unique culture.

Prehistory

The archipelago was probably colonized during the 1300s by Polynesians from Samoa. Smaller groups of immigrants have later arrived from e.g. Tonga, Cook Islands and Gilbert Islands.

History

Sporadic contacts with Europeans began in 1568, when the Spanish sailor Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira (dead in 1595) targeted one of the islands. Between 1850 and 1875, the local population was decimated by imported diseases and forced recruitment of labor (“blackbirding”) from 20,000 to 3,000. The United Kingdom established a protectorate in 1892, which in 1916 became the Crown Colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands with Funafuti as the capital. The Japanese occupied the colony in 1942, and the Allies recaptured it in 1943.

In 1976, Tuvalu (Ellice Islands) was separated from Kiribati (Gilbert Islands) and became independent within the Commonwealth in 1978. In 1979, the United States renounced its guano interests in the four southern islands in exchange for the right of use to its World War II naval base and the right to prevent other states from using Tuvalu militarily. See abbreviationfinder for geography, history, society, politics, and economy of Tuvalu.

Tuvalu’s relations with mainly the UK are tense. In 1991, the Tuvalu government decided to demand financial compensation for the country’s poor economy and infrastructure, which Britain left behind at independence, and for the damage the Allies (primarily the United States) inflicted on Tuvalu during the Second World War. However, Tuvalu is a member of the Commonwealth.

As the low-lying islands run the risk of flooding as a result of climate change, Tuvalu works internationally to reduce emissions. New Zealand and Fiji have promised to receive climate refugees from Tuvalu if the country needs to be evacuated.

  • COUNTRYAAH.COM: Provides latest population data about Tuvalu. Lists by Year from 1950 to 2020. Also includes major cities by population.

Tuvalu

Island state in the west-central Pacific Ocean, N of the Fiji Islands.

Physical characteristics

The archipelago consists of nine main coral atolls (Nanumea, Nanumanga, Niutao, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Fanafuti, Nukulaelae and Niulakita), which line up for 560 km between 5 ° and 10 ° lat. S, and from other minor atolls. The climate is hot and humid with average temperatures of 29 ° C and abundant rainfall (3000 mm per year); frequent cyclones. The vegetation is limited to a few tree species (coconut palms, breadfruit).

Population

The great majority of the population (97.9%) is constituted by Tuvaluani, of Polynesian stock; minorities of Micronesians (1%) and Europeans (0.5%). The demographic increase is still quite sustained (1.6% in 2009), albeit declining in recent years, and the country’s scarce resources fuel substantial migratory flows, mainly directed towards Kiribati. The only modest urban center is the capital, Vaiaku, on the Fanafuti atoll; otherwise the exclusive form of settlement is constituted by the village. The dominant religion is the Protestant one (85.2%).