Tonga

Travel Guide > Oceania > Tonga

Quick Facts

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Capital: Nuku'alofa
Population: 108,000
Government: Monarchy
Religions: Christianity
Languages: Tongan, English
Calling Code: +676
Nationality: Tongan

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Introduction

White tip

Making up the southern flank of Pacific island nations (if a flank it could be called), Tonga sits on such a longtitude to have given it the honor of being the first nation to welcome in the new millenium. Tonga is also the only Pacific kingdom. The local tourist board will try to convince you that theirs are the Friendly Islands, but this is a distinction that is a little more doubtful: Tongans were historically a war-like people who looked down on pacifists, and the person who originally dubbed them the Friendly Islands, the venerable Captain Cook, was unaware of the Tongan plot on his life.

Gorgeous and culturally fascinating it is, however. Alongside the usual Pacific fun of swimming, snorkelling and diving, Tonga awards caving opportunities both underwater and on land. Local music and dance are somewhat modernized but stylistically as close as it gets to traditional Tongan styles. Kava, the local inebriant, is as popular among travellers as it is among the locals.

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Brief History

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Geography

Tonga is an archipelago consisting of 169 islands, 96 of which are inhabited. It is located in the South Pacific, south of Western Samoa. The islands stretch for some 800 kilometres from north to south. The largest island, Tongatapu, is 257 square kilometres.

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Islands

Tonga consists of several main island groups.

Tongatapu, where the capital, Nuku'alofa, can be found
Ha'apai
Vava'u
Niua, the most northerly group

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Towns

Nuku'alofa, the capital

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Sights and Activities

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

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Getting there

Plane

Visitors will arrive at Fua'amotu International Airport (TBU), not far from the capital Nuku'alofa on the Tongatapu Island group. There are direct flights with Polynesian Airlines from Apia in Samoa and several cities in New Zealand, as well as with Air New Zealand from Auckland. In addition, Air Pacific and Pacific Blue fly from Nadi onFiji and Australia respectively. Air Fiji flies from the Fiji Islands as well, serving Suva.