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| GDP_nominal_year = 2019
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = $4,888<ref name="imf.org"/>
| Gini =
| Gini_year =
| Gini_change =
| Gini_ref = <ref
| HDI = 0.739
| HDI_year = 2022<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
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| currency_code = TOP
| utc_offset = [[UTC+13:00|+13]]
| date_format = dd/mm/yyyy
| drives_on = left
| calling_code = [[+676]]
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|—14.2% [[Catholic Church in Tonga|Catholicism]]
|—10.4% other [[Christians|Christian]]
|2.2% [[
|0.5% [[Irreligion|no religion]]
|0.3% others}}
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}}
'''Tonga''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɒ|ŋ|ə}} {{respell|TONG|ə}}, {{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɒ|ŋ|g|ə}} {{respell|TONG|gə}};{{efn|Both pronunciations are used in English, although the former is preferred as it is closer to the Tongan pronunciation. In [[North American English|North America]] and the [[British English|United Kingdom]], both pronunciations are used, while the preferred pronunciation (i.e the former) is almost always used in [[Australian English|Australia]], [[New Zealand English|New Zealand]] and the [[Pacific Islands]].}} {{IPA-to|ˈtoŋa|lang}}), officially the '''Kingdom of Tonga''' ({{
Tonga was first inhabited roughly 2,500 years ago by the [[Lapita culture|Lapita]] civilization, Polynesian settlers who gradually evolved a distinct and strong ethnic identity, [[Tongan language|language]], and [[culture]] as the [[
From 1900 to 1970, Tonga had [[Kingdom of Tonga (1900–1970)|British protected-state status]]. The United Kingdom looked after Tonga's foreign affairs under a [[#History|Treaty of Friendship]], but Tonga never relinquished its [[sovereignty]] to any foreign power. In 2010, Tonga took a decisive step away from its traditional [[absolute monarchy]] and became a [[semi-constitutional monarchy]], after legislative reforms paved the way for its [[2010 Tongan general election|first]] partial [[representative election]]s.
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==Etymology==
In many [[Polynesian languages]], including Tongan, the word
Tonga became known in the West as the "Friendly Islands" because of the congenial reception accorded to Captain [[
==
{{Main|History of Tonga}}
[[File:Tasman-dagboek-a.jpg|thumb|The arrival of [[Abel Tasman]] in Tongatapu, 1643; drawing by [[Isaack Gilsemans]]
According to [[Tongan mythology]], the demigod [[Maui (mythology)|Maui]] drew up a group of islands from the ocean, first appearing [[Tongatapu]], the [[Ha'apai Islands]] and [[Vava'u]], integrating into what became modern-day Tonga.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tongatime.com/mauis-fish-hook/ |title=Maui's Fish Hook |publisher=Tonga Time |date=9 April 2013 |access-date=14 March 2023 |archive-date=14 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314010858/https://tongatime.com/mauis-fish-hook/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
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[[File:William Mariner (1791-1853) crop.jpg|thumb|upright|[[William Mariner (writer)|William Mariner]] was a teenaged English sailor adopted into a royal Tongan family.]]
The Tongan people first encountered Europeans in 1616, when the Dutch vessel [[Eendracht (1615 ship)|''Eendracht'']], captained by [[Willem Schouten]], made a short visit to the islands for the purpose of engaging in trade. Later, other Dutch explorers arrived, including [[Jacob Le Maire]] (who visited the northern island of [[Niuatoputapu]]); and [[Abel Tasman]] (who visited Tongatapu and [[Haʻapai]]) in 1643. Later noteworthy European visitors included James Cook, of the British Royal Navy, in 1773, 1774, and 1777; Spanish Navy explorers [[Francisco Mourelle|Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa]] in 1781; [[Alessandro Malaspina]] in 1793; the first London [[missionaries]] in 1797; and a [[Methodism|Wesleyan Methodist]] minister, Reverend Walter Lawry, in 1822.
[[Whaling]] vessels were among the earliest regular Western visitors. The first of these on record is the ''Ann and Hope'', which was reported to have been seen among the islands of Tonga in June 1799.<ref>Robert Langdon (ed.) (1984), ''Where the whalers went: an index to the Pacific ports and islands visited by American whalers (and some other ships) in the 19th century'', Canberra, Pacific Manuscripts Bureau, p. 234. {{ISBN|086784471X}}</ref> The last known whaling visitor was the ''Albatross'' in 1899. That ship arrived in Tonga seeking a resupply of water, food, and wood. The islands most regularly visited by Westerners were Ata, 'Eua, Ha'apai, Tongatapu, and Vava'u. Sometimes, Tongan men were recruited to serve as crewmen on these vessels.
The [[United States Exploring Expedition]] visited Tonga in 1840.<ref name=Stanton>{{cite book|last1=Stanton|first1=William|title=The Great United States Exploring Expedition|date=1975|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=978-0520025578|page=[https://archive.org/details/greatunitedstate00will/page/186 186]|url=https://archive.org/details/greatunitedstate00will/page/186}}</ref>
In 1845, an ambitious young Tongan warrior, strategist, and orator named [[Tāufaʻāhau]] united Tonga into a kingdom. He held the chiefly title of [[Tuʻi Kanokupolu]], but had been baptised by [[Methodist]] missionaries with the name ''Siaosi'' ("George") in 1831. In 1875, with the help of missionary [[Shirley Waldemar Baker]], he declared Tonga a constitutional monarchy, formally adopted the Western royal style, emancipated the "serfs", enshrined a code of law, land tenure, and freedom of the press, and limited the power of the chiefs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-889064580/view?sectionId=nla.obj-890839971&searchTerm=tonga+constitution&partId=nla.obj-889098111#page/n9/mode/1up/search/tonga+constitution |title=The history of the Constitution of Tonga |work=Australian foreign affairs record |volume=51 |issue=11 |pages=416–419 |date=29 November 1980 |access-date=14 March 2023 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=14 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314013358/https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-889064580/view?sectionId=nla.obj-890839971&searchTerm=tonga+constitution&partId=nla.obj-889098111#page/n9/mode/1up/search/tonga+constitution |url-status=live }}</ref>
Tonga became a [[British Protectorate|protected state]] under a Treaty of Friendship with Britain on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs unsuccessfully tried to oust the man who had succeeded Tāufaʻāhau as king. The treaty posted no higher permanent representative on Tonga than a British [[Consul (representative)|consul]] (1901–1970). Under the protection of Britain, Tonga maintained its sovereignty and remained the only Pacific nation to retain its monarchical government. The Tongan monarchy follows an uninterrupted succession of hereditary rulers from one family.<ref>George Woodcock,
The [[1918 flu pandemic]], brought to Tonga by a ship from New Zealand, killed 1,800 Tongans, a mortality rate of about 8%.<ref>{{Cite book|first = George C.|last = Kohn|title = Encyclopedia of plague and pestilence: from ancient times to the present|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tzRwRmb09rgC&pg=PA363|publisher = Infobase Publishing|year = 2008|page = 363|isbn = 978-0-8160-6935-4|access-date = 18 October 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160101182730/https://books.google.com/books?id=tzRwRmb09rgC&pg=PA363|archive-date = 1 January 2016|url-status = live}}</ref>
The Treaty of Friendship and Tonga's protection status ended in 1970 under arrangements that had been established by Tonga's Queen [[Salote Tupou III]] before her death in 1965. Owing to its British ties, Tonga joined the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] in 1970 (atypically as a country that had its own monarch, rather than having the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|United Kingdom's monarch]], along with [[Malaysia]], [[Brunei]], [[Lesotho]], and [[Eswatini]]). Tonga became a member of the United Nations in September 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FSM welcomed Kiribati, Nauru and Tonga to UN family|url=https://www.fsmgov.org/fsmun/pr140999.htm|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.fsmgov.org|archive-date=3 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103022201/https://www.fsmgov.org/fsmun/pr140999.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> While exposed to colonial pressures, Tonga has always governed itself, which makes it unique in the Pacific.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tonga Was Never Colonised, So Why Does It Feel So Colonised?|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/qvyzxb/tonga-was-never-colonised-so-why-does-it-feel-so-colonised|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.vice.com|date=20 February 2019 |language=en|archive-date=3 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103022158/https://www.vice.com/en/article/qvyzxb/tonga-was-never-colonised-so-why-does-it-feel-so-colonised|url-status=live}}</ref>
In January 2022, the [[Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai]] volcano, {{Convert|65|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of the main island of Tongatapu, [[2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami|erupted]], causing a [[tsunami]] which inundated parts of the archipelago, including the capital Nuku{{Okina}}alofa. The eruption affected the kingdom heavily, cutting off most communications<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tonga: Tsunami waves hit Pacific country after huge underwater volcano eruption|url=https://news.sky.com/story/tonga-tsunami-alert-as-undersea-volcano-eruption-causes-large-waves-to-hit-island-12516351|access-date=2022-01-15|website=Sky News|language=en|archive-date=15 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115213858/https://news.sky.com/story/tonga-tsunami-alert-as-undersea-volcano-eruption-causes-large-waves-to-hit-island-12516351|url-status=live}}</ref> and killing four people in Tonga
==
{{Main|Politics of Tonga}}
[[File:King George, of the Friendly Islands (1852, p.1, IX) - Copy.jpg|thumb|King George, of the Friendly Islands (1852)<ref name="Juvenile1852">{{cite journal|title=King George, of the Friendly Islands|journal=The Wesleyan Juvenile Offering: A Miscellany of Missionary Information for Young Persons|date=1852|volume=IX|page=1|url=https://archive.org/download/wesleyanjuvenil08socigoog/wesleyanjuvenil08socigoog.pdf|access-date=24 February 2016}}</ref>]]
Tonga is a [[constitutional monarchy]]. It is the only extant indigenous monarchy in the Pacific islands (see also [[Hawaiian Kingdom|Hawaiʻi]]). Reverence for the monarch replaces that held in earlier centuries for the sacred paramount chief, the Tuʻi Tonga. Criticism of the monarch is held to be contrary to Tongan culture and etiquette. Tonga provides for its citizens a free and mandatory education for all, secondary education with only nominal fees, and foreign-funded scholarships for postsecondary education.
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Following the precedents of Queen Sālote and the counsel of numerous international advisors, the government of Tonga under King [[Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV]] (reigned 1965–2006) monetised the economy, internationalised the medical and education systems, and enabled access by commoners to increasing forms of material wealth (houses, cars, and other commodities), education, and overseas travel.
Male [[LGBT rights in Tonga|homosexuality]] is illegal in Tonga,<ref>{{cite news |title=Cooks bill puts spotlight on Pacific's anti-gay laws |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/337461/cooks-bill-puts-spotlight-on-pacific-s-anti-gay-laws |work=RNZ News |date=21 August 2017 |access-date=1 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731095647/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/337461/cooks-bill-puts-spotlight-on-pacific-s-anti-gay-laws |archive-date=31 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> with a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/186525.pdf|title=Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Tonga|access-date=8 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524160837/https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/186525.pdf|archive-date=24 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
===
[[File:Kingtupou.jpg|thumb|[[Tupou VI|King Tupou VI]] during his coronation on 4 July 2015]]
King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV and his government made some problematic economic decisions and were accused by democracy activists, including former prime minister [[ʻAkilisi Pōhiva]], of wasting millions of dollars on unwise investments. The problems have mostly been driven by attempts to increase national revenue through a variety of schemes – considering making Tonga a nuclear waste disposal site (an idea floated in the mid 1990s by the current crown prince),<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071013151423/http://michaelfield.org/tonga3.htm Tonga's king tricked by Korean sea water to natural gas scam]. michaelfield.org (December 1997).</ref> and selling Tongan Protected Persons Passports (which eventually forced Tonga to naturalise the purchasers, sparking ethnicity-based concerns within Tonga).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tonga/3039020044.html |title=Tonga : In Depth : History |publisher=Frommers.com |access-date=27 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606234210/http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tonga/3039020044.html |archive-date=6 June 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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[[File:Royal Palace, Nuku'alofa.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Royal Palace, Tonga|Royal Palace of Tonga]]]]
The bill was opposed in a several-thousand-strong protest march in the capital, a call by the Tuʻi Pelehake (a prince, nephew of the king and elected member of parliament) for Australia and other nations to pressure the Tongan government to democratise the electoral system, and a legal writ calling for a judicial investigation of the bill. The latter was supported by some 160 signatures, including seven of the nine elected "People's Representatives".
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[[File:Looters.jpg|thumb|Riots in Nukuʻalofa, 2006]]
The public expected some changes when George Tupou V succeeded his father in September 2006. On [[2006 Tonga riots|16 November 2006, rioting broke out]] in the capital city of [[Nukuʻalofa]] when it seemed that the parliament would adjourn for the year without having made any advances in increasing democracy in government. Pro-democracy activists burned and looted shops, offices, and government buildings. As a result, more than 60% of the downtown area was destroyed and as many as six people died.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/crime/riot161106.shtml |title=Rioting crowd leaves leaves trail of wreckage in Nuku'alofa |publisher=Matangitonga.to |date=16 November 2006 |access-date=27 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609173107/http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/crime/riot161106.shtml |archive-date=9 June 2010 }}</ref> The disturbances were ended by action from [[His Majesty's Armed Forces (Tonga)|Tongan Security Forces]] and troops from New Zealand-led Joint Task Force.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nautilus.org/publications/books/australian-forces-abroad/tonga/adf-deployment-to-tonga-2006/|title=ADF deployment to Tonga, 2006|date=17 January 2012|access-date=6 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519085152/http://nautilus.org/publications/books/australian-forces-abroad/tonga/adf-deployment-to-tonga-2006/|archive-date=19 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
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On 15 March 2012, King George Tupou V contracted pneumonia and was brought to [[Queen Mary Hospital (Hong Kong)|Queen Mary Hospital]] in [[Hong Kong]]. He was later diagnosed with leukaemia. His health deteriorated significantly shortly thereafter, and he died at 3:15 pm on 18 March 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/template/apple/art_main.php?iss_id=20120319&sec_id=4104&subsec_id=12731&art_id=16168607|script-title=zh:蘋果日報 – 20120319 – 患血癌染肺炎 搶救數日無效湯加國王 駕崩瑪麗醫院|access-date=19 March 2012|work=Appledaily News HK|date=19 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321193353/http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/template/apple/art_main.php?iss_id=20120319&sec_id=4104&subsec_id=12731&art_id=16168607|archive-date=21 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> He was succeeded by his brother [[Tupou VI]], who was crowned on 4 July 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-04/tonga-formally-crowns-king-tupou-vi-in-lavish-coronation/6595288|title=Tonga crowns King Tupou VI in lavish public coronation, parties|work=ABC News|date=2015-07-04|access-date=8 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706225541/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-04/tonga-formally-crowns-king-tupou-vi-in-lavish-coronation/6595288|archive-date=6 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
===
{{Further|Foreign relations of Tonga}}
Tonga's foreign policy {{as of| January 2009 | lc=yes}} was described by [[Matangi Tonga]] as "Look East"{{snd}}specifically, as establishing closer diplomatic and economic relations with Asia (which actually lies to the north-west of the Pacific kingdom). As of 2021, China has attained great influence in Tonga, financing infrastructure projects, including a new royal palace and holding two thirds of the country's foreign debt.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Luthi|first=Susannah|title=Meth, Vanilla and 'Gulags': How China Has Overtaken the South Pacific One Island at a Time|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/08/29/tonga-china-south-pacific-influence-506370|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Politico|date=29 August 2021 |language=en|archive-date=29 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829164516/https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/08/29/tonga-china-south-pacific-influence-506370|url-status=live}}</ref>
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Tonga maintains strong regional ties in the Pacific. It is a full member of the [[Pacific Islands Forum]], the [[South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission]], the [[South Pacific Tourism Organisation]], the [[Pacific Regional Environment Programme]], and the [[Secretariat of the Pacific Community]].
In 2023, the governments of Tonga and other islands vulnerable to climate change ([[Fiji]], [[Niue]], the [[Solomon Islands]], [[Tuvalu]] and [[Vanuatu]]) launched the "Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific", calling for the phase out [[fossil fuel]]s and the "rapid and [[just transition]]" to [[renewable energy]] and strengthening [[environmental law]], including introducing the crime of [[ecocide]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Six Island Nations Commit to 'Fossil Fuel-Free Pacific,' Demand Global Just Transition |url=https://www.commondreams.org/news/fossil-fuel-free-pacific |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=www.commondreams.org |language=en |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616003648/https://www.commondreams.org/news/fossil-fuel-free-pacific |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-22 |title=Port Vila call to phase out fossil fuels |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/486463/port-vila-call-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz |archive-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701175204/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/486463/port-vila-call-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ligaiula |first=Pita |date=2023-03-17 |title=Port Vila call for a just transition to a fossil fuel free Pacific {{!}} PINA |url=https://pina.com.fj/2023/03/17/port-vila-call-for-a-just-transition-to-a-fossil-fuel-free-pacific/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |language=en-US |archive-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701175216/https://pina.com.fj/2023/03/17/port-vila-call-for-a-just-transition-to-a-fossil-fuel-free-pacific/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
===
{{Main|His Majesty's Armed Forces (Tonga)|l1=Tonga Defence Services}}
The Tongan government supported the American "[[Coalition of the willing (Iraq War)|coalition of the willing]]" action in [[Iraq]] and deployed more than 40 soldiers (as part of an American force) in late 2004. The contingent returned home on 17 December 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://matangitonga.to/2004/12/21/tongan-marines-return-safely-christmas |title=Tongan Marines return safely for Christmas |publisher=Matangi Tonga |date=21 December 2004 |access-date=14 March 2023 |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209205015/https://matangitonga.to/2004/12/21/tongan-marines-return-safely-christmas |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2007, a second contingent went to Iraq, and two more were sent during 2008 as part of continued support for the coalition. Tongan involvement concluded at the end of 2008 with no reported loss of life.
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[[File:Tonga demography.png|thumb|Tonga's population (1961–2003) in thousands]]
Over 70% of the {{UN_Population|Tonga}}{{UN_Population|ref}} inhabitants live on its main island, Tongatapu. Although an increasing number of [[Tongans]] have moved into the only urban and commercial centre, Nukuʻalofa, where European and indigenous cultural and living patterns have blended, village life and kinship ties remain influential throughout the country. Despite emigration, Tonga grew in population from about 32,000 in the 1930s to more than 90,000 by 1976.<ref>Small, Cathy A. and Dixon, David L. "[http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfm?ID=198 Tonga: Migration and the Homeland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127140157/http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=198 |date=27 January 2012 }}", Migration Policy Institute.</ref>
=== Ethnic groups ===
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=== Languages ===
[[Tongan language|Tongan]] is the official language,<ref name=":3" /> along with English.
=== Religion ===
{{
[[File:Saione.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Free Wesleyan Church]]]]
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=== Health ===
{{
By some published surveys, Tonga has one of the highest obesity rates in the world.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Watson|first1=Katy|title=How mutton flaps are killing Tonga|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35346493|access-date=25 February 2016|work=BBC News Online|date=18 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305022251/http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35346493|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> [[World Health Organization]] data published in 2014 indicate that Tonga stands fourth overall in terms of [[List of countries by Body Mass Index (BMI)|countries listed by mean body mass index data]]. In 2011, 90% of the adult population were considered overweight using NIH interpretation of body mass index (BMI) data, with more than 60% of those [[obesity|obese]].<ref>Sands, Neil (10 April 2011) [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110410-330400/Pacific-nations-battle-obesity-epidemic "Pacific island nations battle obesity epidemic"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218082637/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110410-330400/Pacific-nations-battle-obesity-epidemic |date=18 December 2013 }}, Agence France-Presse.</ref> 70% of Tongan females aged 15–85 are obese. Tonga and [[Nauru]] have the world's highest overweight and obese populations.<ref>Mark Henderson (18 February 2008) [http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/article1881007.ece Welcome to the town that will make you lose weight] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131223095634/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/article1881007.ece |date=23 December 2013 }}. ''Times Online''. www.timesonline.co.uk</ref>
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=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Tonga}}
Primary education between ages 6 and 14 is compulsory and free in state schools. Mission schools provide about 8% of the primary and 90% of the secondary level of education. State schools make up for the rest. Higher education includes teacher training, nursing, and medical training, a small private university, a woman's business college, and a number of private agricultural schools. Most levels of higher education are pursued overseas.
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Fahu is a form of social organization practiced by the people of Tonga, built upon a relationship between a person and their father’s sister and paternal cousins. There are a few key superiorities in the social structure of fahu:<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Evans |first=Mike |date=2007 |title=Property, propriety, and ecology in contemporary Tonga. |url=https://doi.org/10.17730/humo.66.1.h65w4867x5x0j101 |journal=Human Organization |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=22–27|doi=10.17730/humo.66.1.h65w4867x5x0j101 }}</ref>
#
# Sisters are situated as superordinate and sacred counterparts to their brothers, thus
# The sister of
Prior to Western contact, the inner dynamics between the chiefly kinship groups were governed by this social convention. Although fahu rights do not hold the same political strength and implications they historically did, they remain, to a notable degree, a part of the contemporary social practices in Tonga.<ref name=":4" />
==== Socio-environmental impact of fahu ====
Similar social structures to fahu have been cited as significantly beneficial for human adaptation to environmental threats, especially those situated in hurricane-prone regions such as Tonga.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Alkire |first=William |title=Coral Islanders |publisher=AHM Publishing Corporation: Arlington Heights |year=1978}}</ref> The benefit stems from the
However, there have been environmental consequences of note due to the fahu structure, or rather, a disturbance of the structure. In the 1980s, Tonga saw a severe depletion of its sandalwood tree due a disruption of the fahu social hierarchy, which was incited by market demand for the resource.<ref name=":4" /> This led to heightened local competition and eventually an overharvest of the tree. Nearly all of the sandalwood resources were depleted over the span of two years.{{Clarify|reason=It's completely unclear why a depletion of the sandalwood supply leads to a weakening of the relationship between people and their aunts.|date=December 2023}}[[File:Ula fu.jpg|thumb|The start of a Tongan ''[[tauʻolunga]]'' dance]]
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==== American football ====
Several Tongans have been football players in the [[National Football League]], including [[Tuineau Alipate]], [[Sione Takitaki]], [[Spencer Folau]], [[Lakei Heimuli]], [[Steve Kaufusi]], [[Ma'ake Kemoeatu]], [[Deuce Lutui]], [[Siupeli Malamala]], [[Tim Manoa]], [[Stan Mataele]], [[Vili Maumau]], [[Alfred Pupunu]], [[Vai Sikahema]], [[Star Lotulelei]], [[Vita Vea]],
=== Media ===
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=== Contemporary Tongan art ===
There has been a huge surge of contemporary Tongan artists in the past decade,{{When|date=December 2023|reason=People are going to be reading this article for years. Please give a specific period that will be meaningful regardless of when it's read.}} the majority based in New Zealand. [[Tanya Edwards]] works with ngatu (bark cloths),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Samantha |date=2015-07-06 |title=Paying tribute through traditional artwork |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/69920154/paying-tribute-through-traditional-artwork |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211220126/https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/69920154/paying-tribute-through-traditional-artwork |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Benjamin Work]], [[Telly Tuita]], and [[Sione Monū]] are widely exhibited internationally,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Latif |first=Justin |date=2016-09-01 |title=Benjamin to bring Tongan war clubs to Big Apple |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/83790306/benjamin-to-bring-tongan-war-clubs-to-big-apple |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=28 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128215731/https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/83790306/benjamin-to-bring-tongan-war-clubs-to-big-apple |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-03 |title=Recycled objects portray Tongan artist's personal cultural journey |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/418206/recycled-objects-portray-tongan-artist-s-personal-cultural-journey |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Charlie |date=2021-11-14 |title=Scape Public Art festival comes to Christchurch with eight new sculptures |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/christchurch-life/art-and-stage/visual-art/126956774/scape-public-art-festival-comes-to-christchurch-with-eight-new-sculptures |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211220127/https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/christchurch-life/art-and-stage/visual-art/126956774/scape-public-art-festival-comes-to-christchurch-with-eight-new-sculptures |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Sēmisi Fetokai Potauaine]] built a five-storey Tongan sculpture in central [[Christchurch]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Charlie |date=2019-03-27 |title=New five-storey sculpture for central Christchurch to be installed by end of year |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/111579075/new-fivestorey-sculpture-for-central-christchurch-to-be-installed-by-end-of-year |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=Stuff |language=en |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211220126/https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/111579075/new-fivestorey-sculpture-for-central-christchurch-to-be-installed-by-end-of-year |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2023, [[Bergman Gallery]] hosted ''Tukufakaholo, Tongan Contemporary'' in [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]], featuring eight Tongan artists.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pulu |first=John |date=2023-09-22 |title=Tongan-Kiwi artists draw inspiration from their past |url=https://tpplus.co.nz/arts-music/tongan-kiwi-artists-draw-inspiration-from-their-past/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=TP+ |language=en-NZ |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211220128/https://tpplus.co.nz/arts-music/tongan-kiwi-artists-draw-inspiration-from-their-past/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== See also ==
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* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tonga/ Tonga]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080607085903/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/tonga.htm Tonga] from UCB Libraries GovPubs (archived 7 June 2008)
* {{wikiatlas|Tonga}}
* [https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/collection/bb4745366c J. Edward Hoffmeister Films] from the J. Edward Hoffmeister Papers. MSS 231. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
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