Tonga (original) (raw)
Tonga
| Map of Tonga | Hear National Anthem "Ko e fasi 'o e tu'i 'o e 'Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands) | Text of National Anthem Adopted 1874 | Constitution (4 Nov 1875) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital: Nuku'alofa (Lifuka 1812-45, 1847-51; Nuku'alofa 1799-1812, 1845-1847) | Currency: Pa'anga (TOP); 1921-1966 Tonga Pound (TOS); 1936-1966 Australian Pound (AUP); 1900-1936 British Pound (GBP) | National Holiday: 4 Jun (1862) Emancipation Day (Independence Day [1970]) | Population: 104,889 (2024) |
| GDP: 700.4million(2022)∣∗∗Exports∗∗:700.4 million (2022) | Exports: 700.4million(2022)∣∗∗Exports∗∗:59.9 million (2022) Imports: $332.7 million (2022) | Ethnic groups: Tongan 96.5%, others (European, Fijian, Samoan, Indian, Chinese, other Pacific Islander, other Asian, other) 3.5% (2021) | |
| Total Police Force: 418 (2012) Defense Cooperation Agreements with Australia and New Zealand Merchant marine: 29 ships (2023) | Religions: Protestant 63.9% (Free Wesleyan Church 34.2%, Free Church of Tonga 11.3%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assembly of God 2.5%, Tokaikolo/Maamafo'ou 1.5%, Constitutional Church of Tonga 1.2%, other Protestant 4%), Church of Jesus Christ 19.7%, Roman Catholic 13.7%, other 2.1%, none 0.6%, no answer 0.1% (2021) | ||
| International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, ADB, AIIB, AOSIS, APA, APM, BTWC, C, CWC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, IRENA, ISA, ITU, ITUC, NPT, NTBT, OPCW, PC, PIDF, PIF, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNFCC-KP, UNFCC-PA, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Tonga Index | Chronology .... Tonga settled. c.950 The first Tui'i Tonga takes office. 16th cent. Tui'i Tonga delegates political authority to a side branch of the royal family styled as the Tu'i Ha'atakalaua. c.1600 Tu'i Ha'atakalaua further delegates political authority to the new post of T_u'i Kanokupolu_. 21-24 Apr 1616 Dutch Captains Willem Schouten and Jacob LeMaire sight Niuatoputapu which they name Verraders Eijlandt (Traitors Island) and Tafahi which is named Cocos E ij lant(Coconut Island). 21 Jan 1643 Dutch Capt. Abel Tasman sights Tongatapu, which he names 't Eijlandt Amsterdam (Amsterdam Island), and 'Eua ('t Eijlandt Middelburgh) and on 24 Jan 1643, Nomuka ('t Eijlandt Rotterdam). 2 Oct 1773 Visited and named Friendly Islands by British Capt. James Cook (b. 1728 - d. 1799). 4 Mar 1781 Vava'u is sighted by Spanish Capt. Francisco Antonio Mourelle de la R�a (b. 1750 - d. 1820), which he names Mart�n de Mayorga. 10 May 1799 Office of Tu'i Ha'atakalaua expires. 4 Jun 1862 Serfdom officially abolished by royal edict. 9 Dec 1865 Last Supreme ruler (Tui'i Tonga) dies. 4 Nov 1875 Kingdom of Tonga (Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga). 6 Apr 1886 - 14 Nov 1899 Tonga or Friendly Islands declared a neutral region in accordance with the Declaration of Berlin. 18 May 1900 Treaty of Friendship with the U.K. is signed, placing Tonga under protectorate (sometimes called the Friendly Islands). 18 May 1900 - 3 Jul 1952 Within the British Western Pacific Territories. 3 Mar 1942 - 26 Aug 1945 U.S. forces garrison Tonga. 28 Jan 1949 Formally specified as a British protected state (by Order-in-Council 140). 4 Jun 1970 Ceases to be a British protected state. |
|---|---|
| Ha`apai-Vava`u (1777-1833) | |
| Minerva (1972, 1982) | |
Note: From ancient times Tonga had a highly tabooed supreme ruler, the Tu'i Tonga. The tradition claims that in the 16th century the Tu'i Tonga delegated political authority to a side branch of the royal family, with the style Tu'i Ha'atakalaua, and that round 1600 the Tu'i Ha'atakalaua further delegated political authority to the Tu'i Kanokupolu. The office of Tu'i Ha'atakalaua expired 10 May 1799. The Tu'i Kanokupolu office continued, with some interruptions, and indeed the future King King Siaosi Taufa'ahau Tupou I was the last
Tu'i Kanokupolu (although his successors as kings and queen regarded themselves as continuing holders of this office). The last Tu'i Tonga served until 9 Dec 1865, at which point Siaosi Taufa'ahau Tupou ruled alone as Tu'i Kanokupolu. On 4 Nov 1875 Tonga was established as a kingdom (Pule 'Anga Fakatui'i'o Tonga ["Kingdom of Tonga"]).
Supreme rulers (styled Tu`i Tonga_)**
.... - .... Fatafehi Tu'i Pulotu 'i Langi
Tu'oteau (Tu'ipulatu I)
.... - .... Fatafehi Fakana'ana'a
17.. - 1770 Fatafehi Tu'i Pulotu 'i Langi (d. 1770)
Tu'oteau (Tu'ipulatu II)
1770 - 1784 Fatafehi Paulaho (b. c.1749 - d. 1784)
1784 - 1793 Fatafehi Ma'ulupekotofa (b. 17.. - d. 1806)
1793 - 1810 Fatafehi Fununuiava (b. 1765 - d. 1810)
1810 - 1827 **Vacant**
1827 - 9 Dec 1865 Fatafehi Laufilitonga (b. 1797 - d. 1865)
(from 7 Nov 1851, Samuelio Fatafehi Laufilitonga)
**Chiefs (styled _Tu`i Ha`atakalaua_)**
.... - .... Mapa
.... - .... Fuatakifolaha
.... - 1777 Maealiuaki (d. af.1781)
1777 - 10 May 1799 Mulikiha'amea (d. 1799)
**Chiefs (styled _Tu`i Kanokupolu)
.... - 1736 Vuna Tu'i'oetau (d. af.1736)
1736 - 1765 Ma'afu'otu'itonga (d. af.1765)
1765 - 1771 Tupoulahi
1771 - 1777 Maealiuaki (1st time) (s.a.)
1777 Tupoulahisi'i
1777 Mulikiha'amea (1st time) (s.a.)
1771 - 1777 Maealiuaki (2nd time) (s.a.)
1777 - 1782 Tu'i Halafatai (b. c.1747 - d. 1799)
- jointly with -
1777 - 1781 Tupoumahe'ofo (f) (1st time) (b. 1745 - d. 1793)
1782 - 1789 Tupou Lahisi' (d. c.1789)
1789 - 1793 Maealiuaki (3rd time) (s.a.)
1793 Tupoumahe'ofo (f) (2nd time) (s.a.)
1793 - 29 Apr 1797 Tupou Mumui (b. 1733 - d. 1797)
29 Apr 1797 - 21 Apr 1799 Talai Tupou (Finau Tuku'aho) (b. 1753 - d. 1799)
(regent 1793 - 29 Apr 1797)
21 Apr 1799 - 22 Apr 1799 Ma'afu'olimuloa (b. 17.. - d. 1800)
22 Apr 1799 - 1812 Tupou Malohi (b. c.1760 - d. 1812)
(in Fiji exile 1800-1805)
1812 - 1820 Tupouto'a (b. c.1777 - d. 1820)
1820 - 1826 Interregnum
7 Dec 1826 - 14 Nov 1845 'Alea Motu'a Tupouifaletuipapai (b. c.1782 - d. 1845)
(from 18 Jan 1830, Josiah Tupou)
18 Nov 1845 - 4 Nov 1875 Siaosi Taufa'ahau Maeakafa (b. 1797 - d. 1893)
(from 4 Dec 1845, Siaosi Mae'akafa Ngininginiofolanga
Taufa'ahau Tupou)
Kings�
4 Nov 1875 - 18 Feb 1893 George Tupou I (s.a.)
(= Siaosi Tupou I)
18 Feb 1893 - 5 Apr 1918 George Tupou II (b. 1874 - d. 1918)
(= Siaosi Tupou II)
Queen�
5 Apr 1918 - 16 Dec 1965 Salote Tupou III (b. 1900 - d. 1965)
(= Salote Tupou III)
Kings�
16 Dec 1965 - 10 Sep 2006 Taufa'ahau Tupou IV (b. 1918 - d. 2006)
11 Sep 2006 - 18 Mar 2012 George Tupou V (b. 1948 - d. 2012)
(= Siaosi Tupou V)
18 Mar 2012 - Tupou VI (b. 1959)
Prime ministers (1876-1970, Premier)
1 Jan 1876 - 18 Dec 1879 Crown Prince Tevita ' Unga (b. c.1824 - d. 1879)Non-party
18 Dec 1879 - Apr 1881 Vacant
Apr 1881 - Jul 1890 Shirley Waldemar Baker (b. 1836 - d. 1903) Non-party
Jul 1890 - 1893 Siaosi (George) Tuku'aho (b. 1854 - d. 1897) Non-party
1893 - Jan 1905 Siosateki Tonga (b. 1853 - d. 1913) Non-party
Jan 1905 Siaosi Tu'i Pelehake (b. 1842 - d. 1912) Non-party
Jan 1905 - 30 Sep 1912 Sione Tupou Mateialona (b. 1852 - d. 1925) Non-party
30 Sep 1912 - 30 Jun 1923 Tevita Tu'ivakano (b. 1869 - d. 1923) Non-party
30 Jun 1923 - 20 Jul 1941 Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi (b. 1887 - d. 1941) Non-party
20 Jul 1941 - 12 Dec 1949 Solomone Piutau Ulamoleka Ata (b. 1883 - d. 1950) Non-party
12 Dec 1949 - 16 Dec 1965 Crown Prince Taufa'ahau Tungi (s.a.) Non-party
(= Taufa'ahau Tupou IV)
16 Dec 1965 - 22 Aug 1991 Prince Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake (b. 1922 - d. 1999) Non-party
22 Aug 1991 - 3 Jan 2000 Siaosi Tu'ihala Alipate Tupou, (b. 1921 - d. 2009) Non-party
Baron Vaea of Houma
3 Jan 2000 - 11 Feb 2006 Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata (s.a.) Non-party
(= Tupou VI)
11 Feb 2006 - 22 Dec 2010 Feleti "Fred" Vaka'uta Sevele (b. 1944) HRDM
(acting to 30 Mar 2006)
22 Dec 2010 - 30 Dec 2014 Siale 'Ataongo Kaho, Lord (b. 1952) Non-party
Tu'ivakano
30 Dec 2014 - 12 Sep 2019 Samiuela 'Akilisi Pohiva (b. 1941 - d. 2019) PATOA
12 Sep 2019 - 8 Oct 2019 Semisi Kioa Lafu Sika (acting) (b. 1968) PATOA
8 Oct 2019 - 28 Dec 2021 Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa (b. 1961 - d. 2023) PP
28 Dec 2021 - 9 Dec 2024 Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni (b. 1970) Non-party
9 Dec 2024 - 31 Jan 2025 Samiu Kuita Vaipulu (acting) (b. 1952) Non-party
31 Jan 2025 - 'Aisake Valu Eke (b. 1960) Non-party
British Agents and Consul s
12 Feb 1901 - 1909 Hamilton Hunter (b. 1846 - d. 1923)
9 Sep 1909 - 1913 William Telfer Campbell (b. 1863 - d. 1929)
1 Jan 1913 - 1917 Henry Eugene Walter Grant (b. 1855 - d. 1934)
25 Aug 1917 - 1926 Islay McOwan (b. 1871 - d. 1948)
9 Jul 1926 - 1937 James Scott Neill (b. 1889 - d. 1958)
17 Dec 1937 - 1943 Arthur Leopold Armstrong (b. 1888 - d. 1973)
30 Jun 1943 - 1949 Charles Walter Trevor Johnson (b. 1893 - d. ....)
24 Mar 1949 - 1954 James Edward Windrum (b. 1895 - d. 1992)
10 Aug 1954 - 1957 Charles Robert Harley Nott (b. 1904 - d. 1997)
25 Mar 1957 - 1959 Archibald Cameron Reid (1st time) (b. 1915 - d. 1994)
British Commissioners and Consuls
9 Nov 1959 - 1965 Edward James Coode (b. 1918 - d. 1979)
24 Jun 1965 - 1970 Archibald Cameron Reid (2nd time) (s.a.)
�Style of the ruler from 4 Jun 1875: ʻi he Kelesi ʻa e ʻOtua ko e Tuʻi ʻo e Puleʻanga ʻo Tonga ("By the Grace of God, King of the Kingdom of Tonga").
**International Disputes: Fiji does not recognize Tonga's 1972 claim to the Minerva Reefs and their surrounding waters; the Minerva Reefs' 200-mile exclusive economic zone includes valuable fishing grounds.
Party abbreviations: HRDM = Human Rights and Democracy Movement (democratic, social justice, anti-corruption, 1992-1998 named Pro-Democracy Movement, est.Oct 1998); PATOA = Paati Temokalati 'a e 'Otu Motu 'Anga'ofa (Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, economic reformist, split from HRDM, est.Sep 2010);TPPI = Paati 'a e Kakai 'o Tonga (Tonga People's Party Inc., pro-China, est.20 Sep 2019)
Ha'apai-Vava'u
Late 18th cent. Ha'apai-Vava'u archipelago develops a high degree of autonomy,
but subject to the Tu'i Tonga, and notionally Tu'i Kanokupolu,
although the chiefs were often the most powerful persons in
all of Tonga.
21 Jan 1643 Ha'apai visited by Dutch Capt. Abel Tasman.
27 Jun 1774 Ha'apai visited by British Capt. James Cook.
5 Mar 1781 Vava'u visited by Spanish Capt. Francisco Mourelle de la R�a.
20 May 1793 Vava'u claimed for Spain by Alessandro Malaspina (no effect).
Mar 1833 Incorporated into Tonga.
Chiefs (styled Tu'i Vav'au; nominally governors)
c.1777 - 12 Jun 1797 Finau 'Ulukalala I 'i Ma'ufanga (b. 1748 - d. 1799)
1797 - May 1799 Takitakimalohi (d. af.1809)
May 1799 - 1809 Finau 'Ulukalala II 'i Feletoa (b. c.1750 - d. 1809)
1809 - 1811 Finau 'Ulukalala III Moengangongo (b. c.1786 - d. 1811)
1811 - Mar 1833 Finau 'Ulukalala IV Tuabayi (d. 1833)
Minerva
![["Republic of Minerva" flag 1972 (Tonga)]](http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Minerva_x250.gif "["Republic of Minerva" flag 1972 (Tonga)]")
19 Jan 1972 - 21 Jun 1972
| Map of Minerva | Currency: Minerva Dollar (issued 1973) | Population: 5 (1972) |
|---|
1807 Crew of the brig Rosalia, commanded by Lieutenant John Garland,
shipwrecked on the Minerva Reefs.
1816 The Oriental Navigator for 1816 recorded Garland's discovery
under the name Rosaretta Shoal.
Dec 1818 Reefs charted by Capt. John Nicholson of LMS Haweis, and
named the Nicholson's Reefs.
9 Sep 1829 Australian whaling ship Minerva wrecks on South Minerva Reef,
which was known as Nicholson's Reef or Nicholson's Shoal.
1854 British Capt. Henry Mangles Denham (b. 1800 - d. 1887) of H.M.S.
Herald charted the two reefs, naming them the Minerva Reefs.
24 Aug 1887 King of Tonga officially delineates Tonga's borders by Royal
Proclamation, the Minerva Reefs remain outside its claim.
1942 - 1945 U.S. military installations on the south reef.
7 Jul 1962 - 18 Oct 1962 Tongan vessel, Tuaikaepau, hit the South Minerva Reef and are
rescued 102 days after the shipwreck.
24 Nov 1966 Annexed to Tonga by Capt. Tevita Fifita.
Aug 1971 Colonized by the U.S. based libertarians from the Ocean Life
Research Foundation (OLRF), construction on north reef commenced.
19 Jan 1972 "Republic of Minerva" proclaimed (not recognized).
15 Jun 1972 Tongaasserted its claim on Minerva Reefs (as Ongo Teleki)
(by Tongan Government Gazette Extra-ordinary No. 7.) The reefs
are named Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga.
21 Jun 1972 King Tupou IV of Tonga sailed to the Minerva Reefs on his royal
yacht Olovaha to declare the proclamation of 15 Jun.
1982 (3 weeks) Group led again by Morris C. "Bud" Davis tries to re-occupy the
reefs, but are forced off by Tongan troops.
Nov 2005 Fiji lodges a complaint with International Seabed Authority
concerning territorial claim over Minerva and statement not
recognizing maritime water claims by Tonga.
May 2011 Fiji naval ships destroy the Tongan lighthouse on the north reef.
President of the Provisional Government (remained in Orange, California)
19 Jan 1972 - 21 Jun 1972 Maurice (Morris) "Bud" C. Davis (b. 1926)
(1st time)
1971 � 1972 Thurlow "Tad" Weed (b. 1933 � d. 2006)
(leader of the colonization team)
1982 (3 weeks) Maurice (Morris) "Bud" C. Davis (s.a.)
(2nd time)
� Ben Cahoon