Tuvaluan cuisine
The traditional foods eaten in Tuvalu are pulaka, seafood (crab, turtle, some fish), bananas and breadfruit, coconut, and pork. Pulaka is the main source for carbohydrates. It is grown in large pits below the water table in composted soil. Seafood is the main source of protein. Bananas and breadfruit are supplemental crops. Finally, coconut is [...]
Sport in Tuvalu
A traditional sport played in Tuvalu is kilikiti, which is similar to cricket. Another sport popular and specific to Tuvalu is ano, which is played with 2 round balls of 12 cm diameter. More common sports such as football, volleyball and rugby union are also played in the country as recreational activities. Tuvalu has a [...]
Climate change in Tuvalu
At its highest, Tuvalu is only 4.5 m above sea level, and could be one of the first nations to experience the effects of sea level rise caused by climate change. Not only could parts of the island be flooded, the rising saltwater table could destroy deep rooted food crops such as coconut and taro. [...]
Transportations in Tuvalu
Transport services in Tuvalu are limited. There are about eight kilometers of roads. The streets of Funafuti were paved and lit in mid-2002, and other roads are unpaved. Tuvalu is among a few countries that do not have railroads. Funafuti is the only port, there is also a deep-water berth in the harbor at Nukufetau. [...]
Culture heritage in Tuvalu
The traditional community system still survives to a large extent on Tuvalu. Each family has its own task, or salanga, to perform for the community, such as fishing, house building or defence. The skills of a family are passed on from father to son. Most islands have their own fusi, or government owned shops. Similar [...]
Educations in Tuvalu
Education in Tuvalu is free of charge and compulsory between the ages of 6 and 15 years. In 1998, the gross and net primary school enrollment rates were 100 percent. Primary school attendance rates were unavailable for Tuvalu as of 2001. While enrollment rates indicate a level of commitment to education, they do not always [...]
History of Tonga
An Austronesian-speaking group linked to the archeological construct known as the Lapita cultural complex reached and colonized Tonga around 1500–1000 BCE. The dates of the initial settlement of Tonga are still subject to debate. Nevertheless, reaching the Tongan islands (without Western navigational tools and techniques) was a remarkable feat accomplished by the Lapita peoples. Not [...]
Etymology of Tonga
In many Polynesian languages, the word "Tonga" means "South". The name of Tonga derives from the word Tongahahake, which translates to "Southeast", originally meaning "the wind that blows from the Southeast". The proper pronunciation of the name ‘Tonga’ is /toŋa/, and not /tɒŋɡə/, a pronunciation used for an Indian carriage spelled in the same way [...]
Geography of Tonga
Administratively Tonga can be divided into five divisions: ‘Eua, Ha’apai, Niuas, Tongatapu, and Vava’u.
Politics of Tonga
Tonga operates as a constitutional monarchy. The reverence for the monarch is likened to 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. A direct descendant of the first monarch, King George Tupou V, his family, some [...]
