STATISTICS: TUVALU

Tuvalu Official name: Tuvalu. Form of government: constitutional monarchy with one legislative house (Parliament ). Chief of state: British Monarch, represented by Governor-General. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: government offices are at Vaiaku, Fongafale islet, of Funafuti atoll. Official language: none. Official religion: none. Monetary units{1}: 1 Tuvalu dollar = 1 Australian dollar ($T = $A) = 100 Tuvalu and Australian cents; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = $A 1.70; 1 = $A 2.89. Demography Population (1998): 10,400. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 1,050.5, persons per sq km 405.8. Urban-rural (1995): urban 46.0%; rural 54.0%. Sex distribution (1997): male 48.59%; female 51.41%. Age breakdown (1997): under 15, 35.7%; 15-29, 23.2%; 30-44, 23.4%; 45-59, 10.5%; 60-74, 6.1%; 75 and over, 1.1%. Population projection: (2000) 10,700; (2010) 12,400. Doubling time: 43 years. Ethnic composition (1979): Tuvaluan (Polynesian) 91.2%; mixed (Polynesian/Micronesian/other) 7.2%; European 1.0%; other 0.6%. Religious affiliation (1995): Church of Tuvalu (Congregational) 85.4%; Seventh-day Adventist 3.6%; Roman Catholic 1.4%; Jehovah's Witness 1.1%; Baha`i 1.0%; other 7.5%. Major locality (1995): Fongafale, on Funafuti atoll, 4,000. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1997): 23.0 (world avg. 25.0); (1989) legitimate 82.2%; illegitimate 17.8%. Death rate per 1,000 population (1997): 9.0 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1997): 14.0 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1997): 3.1. Marriage rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Divorce rate per 1,000 population: n.a. Life expectancy at birth (1997): male 62.4 years; female 64.8 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1985): diseases of the digestive system 170.0; diseases of the circulatory system 150.0; diseases of the respiratory system 120.0; diseases of the nervous system 120.0; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 70.0; infectious and parasitic diseases 40.0; endocrine and metabolic disorders 20.0; ill-defined conditions 430.0; in 1992 the leading causes of death included liver diseases, meningitis, tuberculosis, and still and perinatal deaths; other health problems included acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, filariasis, conjunctivitis, fish poisoning, diabetes, rheumatism, and hypertension. National economy Budget (1995){2}. Revenue: $A 4,400,000 (government charges and grants 49.0%; indirect taxes 34.0%; direct taxes 10.0%). Expenditures: $A 7,300,000 (1987; capital [development] expenditures 68.9%, of which marine transport 20.7%, education 13.0%, fisheries 5.6%, health 3.1%; current expenditures 31.1%). Public debt (external; 1993): U.S.$6,000,000. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$7,000,000 (U.S.$650 per capita). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture{3}, forestry, fishing (1997): coconuts 1,800, fruits 860, hens' eggs 12, other agricultural products include breadfruit, pulaka (taro), bananas, pandanus fruit, sweet potatoes, and pawpaws; livestock (number of live animals) 12,600 pigs{4}; forestry, n.a.; fish catch (1995) 1,460, of which (1993) tuna 15.0%. Mining and quarrying: n.a{5}. Manufacturing (1988): copra 90; handicrafts and baked goods are also important. Construction: n.a.; however, the main areas of construction activity are roadworks, coastal protection, government facilities, and water-related infrastructure projects. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1992) 1,300,000 (1,300,000); coal, none (none); crude petroleum, none (n.a.); petroleum products, none (n.a.); natural gas, none (none). Tourism (1993): receipts from visitors U.S.$300,000; expenditures by nationals abroad, n.a. Population economically active (1991): total 5,910; activity rate of total population 65.3% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 85.5%; female 51.3%; unemployed 4.0%). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1979) 6.4; average annual income per household $A 2,575 (U.S.$2,044); sources of income (1987): agriculture and other 45.0%, cash economy only 38.0%, overseas remittances 17.0%; expenditure (1992){6}: food 45.5%, housing and household operations 11.5%, transportation 10.5%, alcohol and tobacco 10.5%, clothing 7.5%, other 14.5%. Land use (1987): agricultural and under permanent cultivation 73.6%{7}; scrub 16.1%; other 10.3%. Foreign trade{8} Imports (1995): U.S.$15,200,000 (1989; food 29.3%, manufactured goods 28.2%, petroleum and petroleum products 12.8%, machinery and transport equipment 12.2%, chemicals 7.1%, beverages and tobacco 3.9%). Major import sources: Fiji 65.8%; Australia 17.1%; New Zealand 3.9%; United Kingdom 3.3%; United States 2.0%; Germany 1.3%; The Netherlands 1.3%. Exports (1995): U.S.$2,200,000 (1989; clothing and footwear 29.5%, copra 21.5%, fruits and vegetables 8.0%). Major export destinations: South Africa 63.6%; Colombia 9.1%; Belgium-Luxembourg 9.1%. Transport Transport. Railroads: none. Roads (1995): total length 8 km (paved, none). Vehicles{9}: n.a. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 6; total deadweight tonnage 16,005. Air transport (1977): passenger arrivals (Funafuti) 1,443; cargo, n.a.; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 1. Education and health Educational attainment (1979). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 0.4%; primary education 93.0%; secondary 6.1%; higher 0.5%. Literacy (1990): total population literate in Tuvaluan 8,593 (95.0%); literacy in English estimated at 45.0%. Health (1993): physicians 8 (1 per 1,152 persons); hospital beds (1990) 30 (1 per 302 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1997): 26.9. Military Total active duty personnel (1987): there is a police force numbering 32. {1} The value of the Tuvalu dollar is pegged to the value of the Australian dollar, which is also legal currency in Tuvalu. {2} Estimated from 1995 gross national product. {3} Because of poor soil quality, only limited subsistence agriculture is possible on the islands. {4} Other livestock include goats. {5} Research into the mineral potential of Tuvalu's maritime exclusive economic zone (289,500 sq mi [750,000 sq km] of the Pacific Ocean) is currently being conducted by the South Pacific Geo-Science Commission. {6} Weights of consumer price index components. {7} Capable of supporting coconut palms, pandanus, and breadfruit. {8} Exports and imports are f.o.b. {9} There are several cars, tractors, trailers, and light trucks on Funafuti; a few motorcycles are in use on most islands.