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Nuku'alofa

conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga
former: Friendly Islands

hereditary constitutional monarchy

3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u

4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

Independence Day, 4 June (1970)

4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

based on English law

21 years of age; universal

chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the Cabinet, and two governors
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch
cabinet: Cabinet, appointed by the monarch, consists of 12 members
head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since NA February 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister James C. COCKER (since NA January 2001)

unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 7 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%; seats - HRDMT 7, traditionalist 2

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of the Supreme Court)

there are no political parties

Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chair]

ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

chief of mission: Ambassador Sonatane T. T. TUPOU
chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024

the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga

red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner

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