Land and Demography
Tuvalu consists of nine small coral islands. The name Tuvalu means "cluster of eight" and may be a descriptive term used to denote the coral atoll group. Neighboring island countries are Kiribati to the north, Fiji and Samoa to the south, and the Solomon Islands to the west.
The capital island of Funafuti, and in particular its administrative center Fongafale, are home to nearly one-third of the country's approximately 10,000 inhabitants. In terms of both population and area, Tuvalu is among the world's smallest nations.
Culture
The island nation of Tuvalu has a population made up largely of ethnic Polynesians, amounting to about 96 percent of the total population. The people of Tuvalu are closely related to the people of Samoa and Tonga. Various other groups -- mostly of Micronesian extraction and other Pacific typologies -- make up the remaining four percent.
The Tuvaluan language, which is spoken by most of the population, is a derivative of Polynesian. A legacy of colonial rule by Britain has resulted in the common usage of English as well.
Christianity is the major religion in Tuvalu, a legacy of the Christian missionary efforts in the last 200 years across the Pacific.
Culturally, Tuvalu has been influenced most significantly by the Christian religion. In this regard, the people of Tuvalu appear to have strong family values, a respect for community, and they place great importance on religion.
Nevertheless, of all the island states of the Pacific, it appears to have successfully balanced Western influence with the preservation of indigenous traditions and customs. Its Polynesian heritage dates back to the 14th century when Tongans and Samoans arrived in the region.
Human Development
The population of Tuvalu has a life expectancy at birth of 68.97 years of age (males: 66.7 years; females: 71.36 years), according to recent estimates. Tuvalu has an infant mortality rate of 18.97 deaths/1,000 live births and a birth rate of 22.43 births/1,000 population, also according to recent estimates. The overall population growth rate is 1.54 percent.
About 9.9 percent of GDP is spend on health expenditures. Access to sanitation, water, and health care is considered to be very good.
In 1998, an independent panel of human rights observers named Tuvalu the only nation in the world above reproach on the issue of human rights violations.
Tuvalu is also well-known for being a country that demonstrates great respect for its natural environment and the importance of healthy ecological practices.
Written by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor in Chief,
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