About 3000 years before, thePolynesians had settled inTongatapu.[5] In 1845, Tāufaʻāhau united Tonga into a kingdom. He declared Tonga a constitutional monarchy. Between 1845 and 1893,slavery was stopped. Also,constitution was made up.
In 1900, Tonga became aprotected state of theUnited Kingdom. Tonga maintained its sovereignty. It remained the only Pacific nation never to have given up its monarchical government. Foreign affairs was managed by the UK. Tonga was no longer a protected state and became independent in 1970. Tonga joined theCommonwealth of Nations in 1970. It became a member of theUnited Nations in September 1999. Tonga has never lost indigenous governance.
Tonga is inOceania. It is an archipelago in the SouthPacific Ocean. It has 177 islands. Thirty-six of them are inhabited. The islands are divided into three main groups – Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu. The largest island isTongatapuon. The capital city ofNukuʻalofa is on Tongatapuon.
and foreign-funded scholarships for post-secondary education
Tongans have universal access to a national health care system. The Tongan constitution protects land ownership. Land cannot be sold to foreigners. While there is a land shortage on the urbanised main island of Tongatapu, there is farmland available in the outlying islands.
The majority of the population engages in some form of subsistence production of food. Women and men have equal access to education and health care. They are fairly equal in employment. Women are discriminated against in land holding, electoral politics, and government ministries.
The climate is tropical with a distinct warm period (December–April) and a cooler period (May–November). The average wettest period is around March. The average daily humidity is 80%.
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