In 2015, Tonga had a population of 103,036 people, with the majority of the population being Polynesian. The economy was largely based on agriculture and tourism, with fishing and copra production providing additional income. Foreign relations in 2015 were largely focused on maintaining good relations with other Pacific Island countries as well as countries in Europe and the Americas. Tonga was a member of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). Politics in Tonga in 2015 was dominated by King Tupou VI who had been king since 2012 following the death of his brother George Tupou V. During his time in office, he sought to increase economic development while maintaining good diplomatic relations with other nations. He also pushed for political reform including constitutional changes that would allow for greater democracy and freedom of expression. See ehealthfacts for Tonga in the year of 2005.
Yearbook 2015
Tonga. In March, the government announced that Tonga is ready to ratify the UN Women’s Convention of 1979. The country is one of the few in the world that has not yet adopted the convention, which aims to ensure that women have equal rights as men. However, Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva said that ratification could only be done subject to the exception of those parts of the convention which contravene the country’s constitution and other laws. However, the decision to ratify the Women’s Convention aroused strong protests in parts of the Tongan community, especially within the churches, which feared that an adjustment to the content of the convention would lead to the right to abortion and legalization of same-sex marriage. In June, it was announced that the issue was postponed after the upcoming coronation festivities.
On July 4, King Tupou VI and his queen Nanasipau’u were crowned. The king inherited the throne after his brother George Tupou V, who died in 2012. The ceremony was held at the Free Wesleyan Centenary Church in the capital Nuku’alofa. Among the celebrated guests were the Japanese crown prince couple Naruhito and Masako. The tourism industry noted a sharp increase in the number of foreign visitors in connection with the coronation. The same week as this took place, new coins and banknotes were launched, most of them adorned with the present king’s portrait.
According to COUNTRYAAH, Nuku’alofa is the capital of Tonga which is located in Polynesia. A few days after the coronation, the prime minister announced that the question of whether Tonga would ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Women or not was decided in a referendum. However, no such was held in 2015.
- Also see AbbreviationFinder.org for Tonga country abbreviations, including geography, history, economy and politics.
At the beginning of the year, a new island was formed in an eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in the sea north of Tongatapu, the largest island in the country.