Tuvalu
Three thousand years ago, Polynesians began a great migration across the Pacific Ocean. They arrived in what is now Tuvalu using double-hulled sailing canoes or outrigger canoes. These vessels allowed for elaborately planned journeys between distant islands. Scholars believe the people spread out from Samoa and Tonga into the Tuvaluan atolls. The name Tuvalu means 'eight standing together' in the local language. This reflects how eight of the nine islands were inhabited by these early settlers. Possible evidence of human-made fires found in the Caves of Nanumanga suggests humans may have occupied the islands for thousands of years. An important creation myth tells the story of te Pusi mo te Ali, the Eel and the Flounder. Te Ali became the origin of the flat atolls while te Pusi modeled the coconut palms essential to life there. On Niutao, Funafuti and Vaitupu, the founding ancestor is described as being from Samoa. On Nanumea, the founding ancestor is described as being from Tonga.
Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña became the first European known to sail through the archipelago on the 16th of January 1568. He sighted the island of Nui during an expedition searching for Terra Australis. Mendaña made contact with the islanders but was unable to land. During his second voyage across the Pacific, he passed Niulakita on the 29th of August 1595, which he named La Solitaria. Captain John Byron passed through the islands of Tuvalu in 1764, charting the atolls as Lagoon Islands. The first recorded sighting of Nanumea by Europeans was by Spanish naval officer Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa who sailed past it on the 5th of May 1781. In 1809, Captain Patterson in the brig Elizabeth sighted Nanumea while passing through northern waters. Arent Schuyler de Peyster, captain of the armed brigantine Rebecca, passed through southern Tuvaluan waters in May 1819. De Peyster sighted Nukufetau and Funafuti which he named Ellice's Island after Edward Ellice, a Member of Parliament for Coventry. The name Ellice was applied to all nine islands after the work of English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay. Whalers began roving the Pacific though they visited Tuvalu only infrequently due to landing difficulties. The American Captain George Barrett of the Nantucket whaler Independence II has been identified as the first whaler to hunt the waters around Tuvalu.
In the late 19th century, Great Britain claimed control over the Ellice Islands designating them within their sphere of influence. Between 9 and the 16th of October 1892, Captain Herbert Gibson declared each of the Ellice Islands a British protectorate. Britain assigned a resident commissioner to administer the Ellice Islands as part of the British Western Pacific Territories. From 1916 to 1975, they were managed as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony. A referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a result, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony legally ceased to exist on the 1st of October 1975. On the 1st of January 1976, the old administration was officially separated forming two separate British colonies known as Kiribati and Tuvalu. During World War II, the United States Marine Corps landed on Funafuti on the 2nd of October 1942. The islanders assisted American forces to build airfields on Funafuti, Nanumea and Nukufetau. USN Patrol Torpedo Boats and seaplanes were based at Naval Base Funafuti from the 2nd of November 1942 to the 11th of May 1944. After the war, the military airfield on Funafuti was developed into Funafuti International Airport. In 1974, the ministerial government was introduced to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony through a change to the Constitution.
On the 1st of October 1978, Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state within the Commonwealth. That date is also celebrated as the country's Independence Day and is a public holiday. Toaripi Lauti became the first prime minister when Tuvalu became an independent state. On the 5th of September 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations. Tuvalu is a constitutional monarchy with Charles III as King of Tuvalu. Since the King resides in the United Kingdom, he is represented in Tuvalu by a governor general appointed upon the advice of the prime minister. Referendums were carried out in 1986 and 2008 seeking to abolish the monarchy but both times the monarchy was retained. The unicameral Parliament has 16 members with elections held every four years. The members of parliament select the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament. There are no formal political parties; election campaigns are largely based on personal family ties and reputations. The 2023 amendments to the Constitution recognise the Falekaupule as the traditional governing authorities of the islands. On the 10th of November 2023, Tuvalu signed the Falepili Union treaty with Australia.
Because it is a low-lying island nation, Tuvalu is extremely vulnerable to sea level rise due to climate change. At its highest, Tuvalu is only about 4.6 meters above sea level. It is estimated that a sea level rise of one meter in the next 100 years could make Tuvalu uninhabitable. The sea level at the Funafuti tide gauge has risen at 3.9 mm per year which is approximately twice the global average. A study published in 2018 estimated changes in land area between 1971 and 2014 indicating 75% of the islands had grown in area. Enele Sopoaga, the prime minister of Tuvalu at the time, responded stating that Tuvalu is not expanding and has gained no additional habitable land. Cyclone Bebe submerged Funafuti eliminating 95% of structures on the island with 6 people lost. In March 2015, Cyclone Pam resulted in waves breaking over the reef causing damage to houses crops and infrastructure. On Nui sources of fresh water were destroyed or contaminated while Nukufetau suffered loss of 90% of crops. In November 2022, Simon Kofe proclaimed that the country would be uploading a virtual version of itself to the metaverse to preserve history and culture.
The Constitution of Tuvalu states that it is 'the supreme law of Tuvalu' and all other laws shall be interpreted subject to this Constitution. On the 5th of September 2023, Tuvalu's parliament passed the Constitution of Tuvalu Act 2023 with changes coming into effect on the 1st of October 2023. Tuvalu is a parliamentary democracy and Commonwealth realm with Charles III as King of Tuvalu. The place at which the parliament sits is called the Vaiaku maneapa. The unicameral Parliament has 16 members with elections held every four years. There are eight Island Courts and Lands Courts; appeals in relation to land disputes are made to the Lands Courts Appeal Panel. The superior court is the High Court of Tuvalu as it has unlimited original jurisdiction to determine the Law of Tuvalu. From the Court of Appeal there is a right of appeal to His Majesty in Council i.e., the Privy Council in London. With regard to the judiciary, the first female Island Court magistrate was appointed to the Island Court in Nanumea in the 1980s. The Law of Tuvalu comprises Acts voted into law by the Parliament of Tuvalu and statutory instruments that become law.
The 2022 census determined that Tuvalu had a population of 10,643 making it the 194th most populous country. The population of Tuvalu is primarily of Polynesian ethnicity with approximately 5.6% being Micronesians speaking Gilbertese especially on Nui. Life expectancy for women in Tuvalu is 70.2 years and 65.6 years for men according to 2018 estimates. The net migration rate is estimated at negative 6.6 migrants per 1,000 population. From 1947 to 1983, a number of Tuvaluans from Vaitupu migrated to Kioa an island in Fiji. In recent years New Zealand and Australia have been the primary destinations for migration or seasonal work. New Zealand announced the Pacific Access Category in 2001 which provided an annual quota of 75 work permits for Tuvaluans. Tuvaluans can participate in the Australian Pacific Seasonal Worker Program allowing Pacific Islanders to obtain seasonal employment in agriculture fishing industry and tourism. On the 10th of November 2023, Tuvalu signed the Falepili Union under which Australia will provide a pathway for citizens to migrate to Australia.
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Common questions
When did Polynesians first arrive in Tuvalu?
Polynesians began migrating to what is now Tuvalu three thousand years ago using double-hulled sailing canoes or outrigger canoes. Scholars believe these people spread out from Samoa and Tonga into the Tuvaluan atolls.
Who was the first European explorer to sight Tuvalu?
Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña became the first European known to sail through the archipelago on the 16th of January 1568. He sighted the island of Nui during an expedition searching for Terra Australis but was unable to land.
On which date did Tuvalu gain full independence?
Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state within the Commonwealth on the 1st of October 1978. That date is celebrated annually as Independence Day and serves as a public holiday throughout the country.
What is the highest elevation point in Tuvalu above sea level?
At its highest, Tuvalu is only about 4.6 meters above sea level making it extremely vulnerable to rising ocean levels. A study published in 2018 estimated changes in land area between 1971 and 2014 indicating that 75% of the islands had grown in area.
How many members serve in the unicameral Parliament of Tuvalu?
The unicameral Parliament has 16 members with elections held every four years. The members of parliament select the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament without formal political parties.