Tonga: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026

News •

‘Testament to their contribution’: Pacific Islands elevated by IRL • Nov. 9, 2026, 3:01 AM ET (Sydney Morning Herald)

New Zealand down spirited Tonga to reach Rugby League World Cup final • Nov. 7, 2026, 9:50 AM ET (The Guardian)

Pride and passion can drive Pacific teams into Rugby League World Cup finals - ABC Pacific • Nov. 5, 2026, 3:00 PM ET (ABC News (Australia))

Reece Walsh edges out Tedesco in Australia’s Rugby League World Cup semi-final team • Nov. 3, 2026, 1:56 AM ET (The Guardian)

Tonga’s gripping win over Samoa a victory for Pasifika pride at Rugby League World Cup • Nov. 1, 2026, 6:27 PM ET (The Guardian)

Facts

Also Known As	Fakatu‘i ‘o Tonga • Friendly Islands • Kingdom of Tonga
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Fatafehi Fakafanua
Capital	Nukuʿalofa
Population	(2026 est.) 99,700
Head Of State	King: Tupou VI
Form Of Government	hereditary constitutional monarchy with one legislative house (Legislative Assembly [27¹])
Official Languages	Tongan; English
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Fakatuʿi ʿo Tonga (Tongan); Kingdom of Tonga (English)
Total Area (Sq Km)	650
Total Area (Sq Mi)	251
Monetary Unit	paʿanga (T$)
Population Rank	(2026) 202
Population Projection 2030	95,900
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2026) 397.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2026) 153.4
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2021) 21.1% • Rural: (2021) 78.9%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2018–2020) 68.2 years • Female: (2018–2020) 71.9 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 619
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 5,910
¹Includes 17 directly elected seats and 9 nobles elected by the hereditary nobles of Tonga as well as 4 cabinet members who are not elected.

Photos and Videos

Map of the South Pacific region highlighting Tonga in yellow, with surrounding island nations, territories, and archipelagos labeled, including Fiji, Samoa, French Polynesia, and the Caroline Islands. Political boundaries and major cities such as Nuku'alofa, Tonga's capital, are marked.

Tonga: Vava‘u port

Locator map of the South Pacific Ocean highlighting Tonga with an orange border. Surrounding island nations and territories, including Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and New Zealand, are labeled. Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga, is marked within the highlighted area.

Tonga: Ha‘apai island group

Tonga: ‘Eua Island

Tonga: Swallows Cave

Tonga: White Sunday

Experience life in Tonga's Ha‘apai island group in the South Pacific Ocean

Swim with humpback whales in the South Pacific Ocean near the Ha‘apai island group in Tonga

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Topics

Edward W. Gifford Pacific Ocean Polynesian culture nation-state Commonwealth Nukuʿalofa flag of Tonga Pacific Islands Forum Oceania member states of the Commonwealth United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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Edward W. Gifford

American anthropologist

Abel Tasman

Abel Tasman

Dutch explorer and navigator

Map of the Pacific Ocean showing depth contours in varying shades of blue, major submarine features such as trenches, ridges, and basins labeled throughout the ocean, and neighboring landmasses including Asia, Australia, North and South America. Principal cities along the Pacific rim and island groups are marked, along with international boundaries.

Pacific Ocean

body of water

moai statue, Easter Island

Polynesian culture

cultural region, Pacific Ocean

Tonga: Royal Palace

Nukuʿalofa

national capital, Tonga

Political map of Australia and Oceania showing Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and numerous Pacific island nations and territories. Countries and territories such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Kiribati are labeled, along with territories administered by the United States, United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand. Surrounding bodies of water, including the Pacific Ocean, Coral Sea, and Tasman Sea, are also marked.

Oceania

region, Pacific Ocean

Experience life in Tonga's Ha‘apai island group in the South Pacific Ocean

Haʿapai Group

islands, Tonga

Map of the southwestern Pacific Ocean highlighting the Tongatapu Group of islands within Tonga. The map shows surrounding countries and territories including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, and various island groups such as the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and American Samoa. The Tongatapu Group is labeled in orange near the center of the map.

Tongatapu Group

islands, Tonga

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Vavaʿu Group

islands, Tonga

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Niuatoputapu

island, Tonga

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Niuafoʿou

island, Tonga

‘Eua

ʿEua

island, Tonga

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Lifuka

island, Tonga

World map showing the British Empire at its greatest extent, with the United Kingdom highlighted in red and its global holdings in pink, including Canada, Australia, India, large parts of Africa, and numerous islands and territories across the Caribbean, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Areas that left the empire before 1939 are shaded green, and territories added between 1901 and 1939 are shaded purple.

British Empire

historical state, United Kingdom

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Ring of Fire

seismic belt

Island, New Caledonia.

Islands and Archipelagos

Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

Geography Fun Facts

10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres

You Name It!

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Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz

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Countries of the World

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The Country Quiz

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Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz

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Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz

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Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz

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Which Country Is Larger? Quiz