Tonga is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited. Located in the continent of Oceania, Tonga covers a total area of 748 square kilometres.
Tonga became an independent state in 1970, after gaining its sovereignty from the United Kingdom. The population of Tonga is 107,122 and the nation has a density of 139 people per square kilometre. Tonga became known in the West as the Friendly Islands because of the congenial reception accorded to Captain James Cook on his first visit in 1773.
The capital city of Tonga is Nuku’alofa on the nation’s main island Tongatapu. The languages spoken are Tongan and English.
Tonga voted in its first popularly elected parliament in 2010, ending 165 years of feudal rule. In 2015, the country elected its first non-noble prime minister.
Tonga has no strategic or mineral resources, and relies on agriculture and fishing.