Kingdom of Tonga | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900–1970 | |||||||||
| Motto: "Ko e ʻOtua mo Tonga ko hoku tofiʻa" "God and Tonga are my inheritance" | |||||||||
Anthem:
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.svg) Location of theKingdom of Tonga with present-day borders shown. | |||||||||
| Status | Protected state of theUnited Kingdom | ||||||||
| Capital | Nuku'alofa | ||||||||
| Common languages | English Tongan | ||||||||
| Religion | Free Wesleyan Church | ||||||||
| Government | Unitaryparliamentarysemi-constitutional monarchy | ||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||
• 1900–1918 | George Tupou II | ||||||||
• 1918–1965 | Sālote Tupou III | ||||||||
• 1965–1970 | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1900–1905 | Siosateki Veikune(first) | ||||||||
• 1965–1970 | Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake(last) | ||||||||
| Consul | |||||||||
• 1901–1909 | Hamilton Hunter(first) | ||||||||
• 1965–1970 | Archibald Cameron Reid(last) | ||||||||
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Treaty of Friendship | 18 May 1900 | ||||||||
• End of protection status | 4 June 1970 | ||||||||
| Currency | Tongan pound (1921–1967) Tongan paʻanga (1967–1970) | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | TO | ||||||||
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TheKingdom of Tonga was aprotected state of theUnited Kingdom from 1900 to 1970, when its protectorate status was removed.
Tonga became aBritish protected state under aTreaty of Friendship on 18 May 1900, when European settlers and rival Tongan chiefs tried to oust KingGeorge Tupou II, and to secure the independence of Tonga amid further German territorial gains in the Pacific.[1][2][3] The Treaty of Friendship and protected state status ended in 1970 under arrangements established prior to her death by the third monarch, QueenSālote.
While never directly ruled by the British, Tonga's foreign affairs were conducted through the Britishconsul, giving the United Kingdom veto power over foreign policies and finances of the Kingdom of Tonga.[1] An unspoken agreement of the treaty that was common in British protected states was a new monopoly on Tonga's thriving vanilla industry, and their small deposits of minerals.
Tonga was affected by the1918 flu pandemic, with 1,800 Tongans killed, around eight per cent of the residents.[4]
For most of the 20th century Tonga was quiet, inward-looking, and somewhat isolated from developments elsewhere in the world. Tonga's complex social structure is essentially broken into three tiers: theKing, the nobles, and the commoners. Between the nobles and commoners are Matapule, sometimes called "talking chiefs," who are associated with the King or a noble and who may or may not hold estates. Obligations and responsibilities are reciprocal, and although the nobility are able to extract favours from people living on their estates, they likewise must extend favours to their people. Status and rank play a powerful role in personal relationships, even within families.
Tonga gained independence within theCommonwealth of Nations on 4 June 1970.[5]
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