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Travel Information >>> Useful addresses General information Passport & visa Money Duty Free Public holidays Health Getting there Getting around Accommodation Sports and Activities Social profile Business profile Climate History & government Overview Maps	Regions and Cities >>> Resorts & Excursions - Overview Tongatapu Group Ha'apai Group Vava'u Group
General Information Area: 748 sq km (289 sq miles). Population: 99,657 (1999). Population Density: 133.2 per sq km. Capital: Nuku’alofa. Population: 22,400 (1996). GEOGRAPHY: Tonga is an archipelago of 172 islands in the South Pacific, most of which are uninhabited, covering an area of 7700 sq km (3000 sq miles). The major island groups are ’Eua, Ha’apai, the Niuas, Tongatapu and Vava’u. Tonga’s high volcanic and low coral forms give the islands a unique character. Some volcanoes are still active and Falcon Island in the Vava’u group is a submerged volcano that erupts periodically, its lava and ash rising above sea level forming a visible island which disappears when the eruption is over. Nuku’alofa, on Tongatapu Island, has a reef-protected harbour lined with palms. The island is flat with a large lagoon, but no running streams, and many surrounding smaller islands. ’Eua Island is hilly and forested with high cliffs and beautiful beaches. The Ha’apai Islands, a curving archipelago 160km (100 miles) north of Tongatapu, have excellent beaches. Tofua, the largest island in the group, is an active volcano with a hot steaming lake in its crater. The Vava’u Islands, 90km (50 miles) north of Ha’apai, are hilly, densely wooded and interspersed with a maze of narrow channels. They are known for their stalagmite-filled caves. Government: Constitutional monarchy. Gained full independence within the Commonwealth in 1970. Head of State: King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV since 1965. Head of Government: Prime Minister HRH Prince ’Ulukalala-Lavaka-Ata since 2000. Language: Tongan and English. Religion: Wesleyan Church, Roman Catholic and Anglican. Small denominations of the Muslim, Baha'i and Mormon faiths. Time: GMT + 13. Electricity: 240 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications:   Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 676. There are no area codes. Outgoing international code: 00. Mobile telephone GSM 900. Network operators include Tonga Communications Corporation (website: www.tcc.to). Fax Services are provided by Cable & Wireless. Internet ISPs include Tonga Communications Corporation (website: www.tcc.to). Post The main post office is located in the centre of Nuku’alofa and open Mon-Fri 0830-1600. All mail must be collected from the post office. Airmail to Europe takes approximately ten days. There are branch offices on Ha’apai and Vava’u. Press The Tonga Chronicle, Matangi Tonga and The Times of Tonga are the English-language newspapers. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.36 9.740 6.195 3.915 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 17.74 11.71 9.645 6.110 From www.columbusguides.com, Copyright © 2004 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Terms and Conditions apply.