Tuvalu

Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific and is a group of islands that form the fourth smallest county in the world. In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.

Regions

Cities

Funafuti - the capital
Fongafale

Other destinations

Understand

Get in

By plane

Air Fiji flies from Suva to Funafuti twice a week. Air Pacific flies from Suva to Funafuti twice a week also.

By boat

Get around

There is one main road in Funafuti in addition to the runway, which is used for recreational purposes when landings are not scheduled.

Talk

English is the language of government and of most business on Funafuti, but Tuvaluan predominates on the outer islands.

Buy

There is a handicraft center and a philatelic bureau on Funafuti.

Costs

Eat

Drink

Sleep

The state-owned Vaiaku Lagi Hotel on Funafuti is the country's only hotel. It also has significant nightlife.

Learn

Funafuti hosts a University of the South Pacific extension center. Motufoua, the country's only high school, is a coeducational boarding school on Vaitupu island. The Tuvalu Marine School, on an outer islet of Funafuti, trains Tuvaluan mariners for service on foreign ships.

Work

The non-native work force is mostly comprised of contract employees from Britain and other foreign countries.

Stay safe

A siren signals when to leave the runway for an approaching plane.

Violent crime is rare, and usually involves alcohol and family disputes.

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

This page was last edited at 03:21, on 13 March 2009 by Wikitravel user MMKK. Based on work by Ian Sergeant, Tim Sandell, Todd VerBeek, Tom Holland, Yann Forget and Evan Prodromou, Wikitravel user(s) Ypsilon, Sahmeditor, Episteme, Pashley, InterLangBot and Dtobias, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.