Tuvalu

Tuvalu
Banner Coat o airms
Motto: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvaluan) "Tuvalu for the Awmichty"
Anthem: [Tuvalu mo te Atua] (Tuvaluan) Tuvalu for the Awmichty Ryal anthem: God Save the Queen
Caipital	Funafuti 8°31′S 179°12′E
Offeecial leids	Tuvaluan Inglis
Ethnic groups	96% Polynesie 4% Micronesie
Releegion	Christianity (Kirk o Tuvalu)
Demonym(s)	Tuvaluan
Govrenment	Non-partisan pairlamentar democracy unner constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Charles III
• Govrenor-General	Tofiga Vaevalu Falani
• Prime Meenister	Feleti Teo
Legislatur	Pairlament
Unthirldom
• frae the Unitit Kinrick	1 October 1978
Aurie
• Total	26 km2 (10 sq mi) (192nd)
• Water (%)	negligible
Population
• 2017 census	10,645 (229t)
• Density	475.88/km2 (1,232.5/sq mi) (27t)
GDP (PPP)	2016 estimate
• Total	$39 million (226t)
• Per capita	$3,566 (156t)
GDP (nominal)	2016 estimate
• Tot	$32 million (194th)
• Per capita	$2,970 (118t)
Currency	Tuvaluan dollar Australian dollar (AUD)
Time zone	UTC 12
Drivin side	caur
Cawin code	688
ISO 3166 code	TV
Internet TLD	.tv

Tuvalu is a Polynesie island kintra locatit in the Paceefic Ocean, situatit in Oceania, aboot midwey atween Hawaii an Australie. It lees east-northeast o the Santa Cruz Islands (that belang tae the Solomon Islands), sootheast o Nauru, sooth o Kiribati, wast o Tokelau, northwast o Samoa an Wallis an Futuna, an north o Fiji. It comprises three reef islands an sax true atolls spreid oot atween the latitude o 5° tae 10° sooth an longitude o 176° tae 180°, wast o the Internaitional Date Line. Tuvalu haes a population o 10,640 (2012 census). The tot laund aurie o the islands o Tuvalu is 26 square kilometre (10 sq mi).

The first indwallers o Tuvalu war Polynesians. The oreegins o the fowk o Tuvalu are addressed in the theories regairdin migration intae the Paceefic that begoud aboot 3000 years ago. In pre-European-contact times thare wis frequent canoe voyagin atween the islands as Polynesian navigation skills are recognised tae hae alloued deliberate jurneys on dooble-huil sailin canoes or ootrigger canoes. The paitern o settlement that is believed tae have occurred is that the Polynesies spreid oot frae Samoa an Tonga intae the Tuvaluan atolls, wi Tuvalu providin a steppin stane tae faur migration intae the Polynesie ootliers in Melanesie an Micronesie.

In 1568, Spaingie navigator Álvaro de Mendaña wis the first European tae sail throu the airchipelago, sichtin the island o Nui in his expedeetion in sairch o Terra Australis. The island o Funafuti wis named Ellice's Island in 1819; the name Ellice wis applee'd tae aw o the nine islands efter the wark o Inglis hydrografer Alexander George Findlay. The Ellice Islands cam intae Great Breetain's sphere o influence in the late 19t century, as the result o a treaty atween Great Breetain an Germany relatin tae the demarcation o the spheres o influence in the Paceefic Ocean. Ilk o the Ellice Islands wis declared a Breetish Protectorate bi Caiptain Gibson o HMS Curacoa atween 9 an 16 October 1892. The Ellice Islands war admeenistered as a Breetish pertectorate bi a Resident Commissioner frae 1892 tae 1916, as pairt o the Breetish Wastren Paceefic Territories (BWPT), an then as pairt o the Gilbert an Ellice Islands colony frae 1916 tae 1976.

A referendum wis held in December 1974 tae determine whether the Gilbert Islands an Ellice Islands shoud ilk hae thair awn admeenistration. As a consequence o the referendum, the Gilbert an Ellice Islands colony ceased tae exist on 1 Januar 1976, an the separate Breetish colonies o Kiribati an Tuvalu cam intae existence. Tuvalu becam fully independent within the Commonweel on 1 October 1978. On 5 September 2000, Tuvalu becam the 189t member o the Unitit Naitions.