A General Description of Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga is unique among Pacific nations in its form of government as well as in its colonial history. Tonga held protectorate status under Britain (1900-1970), but was not colonized per se. The Tongan people established a constitutional monarchy known as Pule‘anga Tonga in 1862 and have maintained it up until the present time (Thomas 1984).
The constitution states that Sunday, the Sabbath day is to be “kept holy” and that no business can be conducted on that day. The Sabbath is strictly observed throughout Tonga. Church attendance is high.

Tonga is a tropical Polynesian archipelago consisting of four dispersed groups of 169 low-lying small scattered islands: the southern Tongatapu Group, the central Ha‘apai and Vava‘u Groups, and the northern Niua Group (See map above). Of the 169 islands, only 36 are permanently inhabited. Approximately 70% of the population resides on Tongatapu Island.  The total land area is estimated at 700 km² (or 288 square miles). Geologically the islands are mainly raised coral limestone with some islands of volcanic origin and they have a high degree of fertility. On the main island of Tongatapu small industries and businesses have recently proliferated and on the outer islands of the group the majority of families engage in subsistence farming and fishing. Along with the various government departments these form the main sources of employment for Tongan residents.