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Tuvalu: Quick Facts

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News •

Study reveals some Tuvalu reefs holding up against sea level rising • Oct. 21, 2026, 4:00 PM ET (ABC News (Australia))

Facts

Also Known As Ellice Islands
Head Of Government Prime Minister: Feleti Teo
Capital government offices are at Vaiaku, Fongafale islet, of Funafuti Atoll
Population (2026 est.) 10,600
Head Of State British Monarch: King Charles III, represented by Governor-General: Sir Tofiga Falani
Form Of Government constitutional monarchy with one legislative house (Parliament [15])
Official Language none
Official Religion none
Official Name Tuvalu
Total Area (Sq Km) 25
Total Area (Sq Mi) 10
Monetary Unit Tuvaluan dollar
Population Rank (2026) 222
Population Projection 2030 11,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi (2026) 1,060
Density: Persons Per Sq Km (2026) 424
Urban-Rural Population Urban: (2024) 66.9% • Rural: (2024) 33.1%
Life Expectancy At Birth Male: years • Female: years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000) (2023) 86
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$) (2023) 8,770

Photos

Tuvalu
Map of the central Pacific region highlighting Tuvalu in yellow, with its capital Vaiaku marked. The map shows surrounding island nations and territories, including Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Nauru, and the Solomon Islands, along with boundaries and labels for each country or territory. Major regional powers such as Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand-administered islands are also indicated.
Tuvalu: coastline
Map of the central Pacific Ocean highlighting Tuvalu with a bold outline. Neighboring countries and territories such as Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand are labeled, along with smaller territories including Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna, and American Samoa. The capital, Vaiaku, is marked within Tuvalu.
Map of the Pacific Islands region showing political boundaries, major island groups, and countries such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, French Polynesia, and Kiribati. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation and ocean depth, with key islands and capitals labeled throughout the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Funafuti Atoll
Population-density map of Pacific island countries and territories, with darker shading indicating more people per square kilometer. Naoero is the most densely populated, while many larger island groups, including Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia, have lower densities.
Map of the central and western Pacific Ocean showing island nations and territories, including Tuvalu, the Caroline Islands archipelago, and surrounding countries such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Vanuatu. The map marks political boundaries, major islands, and capitals, with red boxes outlining the regions and names indicating territorial affiliations such as U.S., New Zealand, France, and Australia.
Flag of Tuvalu (1995–97).
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Related Topics and References

Topics

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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.
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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.
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Map of the central and south Pacific Ocean highlighting the location of Vaiaku, the national seat of government in Tuvalu. Surrounding island nations and territories are labeled, including Fiji, Samoa, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, and French Polynesia, along with several U.S., French, New Zealand, and U.K. territories. The map provides regional context for Tuvalu's position among Pacific islands.
Vaiaku
national seat of government, Tuvalu
Funafuti Atoll
Funafuti Atoll
atoll and national capital, Tuvalu
Locator map of the central Pacific Ocean highlighting the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, a former British colony. The islands are marked in orange, situated northeast of Australia and near present-day Kiribati and Tuvalu, with surrounding countries and major ocean regions labeled for context.
Gilbert and Ellice Islands
former British colony, Pacific Ocean

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