Tuvalu

Tuvalu, previously referred to as the Ellice Islands, is a diminutive island nation located in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Strategically midway between Hawaii and Australia, this unusual nation presents a wonderful fusion of geographical and cultural importance. East-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands—part of the Solomon Islands—Tuvalu is northeast of Vanuatu, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna, and north of Fiji. For both historical and modern research, Tuvalu is a vital point of interest since this location puts it at a junction of Pacific cultures and histories.

Comprising three reef islands and six atolls spanning latitudes between 5° and 10° south and longitudes between 176° and 180°, the country offers a special temporal location in world geography since they lie west of the International Date Line. Just behind Vatican City, Tuvalu had a population of 10,645 as of the 2017 census, making it the second least populous nation in the world. It is the least populous nation where English is the official language; though just 26 square kilometers (10 square miles), Tuvalu’s cultural and environmental value is great despite its small size.

Arriving as part of the larger migration of Polynesian people into the Pacific, a movement starting roughly three thousand years ago, Polynesians were the first occupants of Tuvalu. Using their talents to navigate between islands in double-hulled sailing canoes or outrigger canoes, these early colonists were skilled navigators. Scholars believe the Polynesians migrated from Samoa and Tonga into the Tuvaluan atolls, acting as a stepping stone for more migration into the Polynesian outlays in Melanesia and Micronesia. In the larger framework of Polynesian exploration and cultural spread, this rich legacy of navigation and settlement emphasizes the significance of Tuvalu.

When Spanish adventurer and cartographer Álvaro de Mendaña became the first European known to pass through the archipelago, spotting the island of Nui on his mission in search of Terra Australis, European interaction with Tuvalu started in 1569. Later on, the island of Funafuti was called Ellice’s Island in 1819; English hydrologist Alexander George Findlay later named the whole group the Ellice Islands. Great Britain claimed authority over the Ellice Islands in the late 19th century, so including them into their sphere of influence. Captain Herbert Gibson of HMS Curacoa marked every Ellice Island a British protectorate between October 9 and 16, 1892. As part of the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT), Britain designated a resident commissioner to oversee the islands; from 1916 until 1975, they were under colonial control.

In 1974, a referendum aimed at deciding whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands ought to have separate governments marked a turning point in Tuvalu’s history. The result led to October 1, 1975’s legal dissolution of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony. Officially divided by January 1, 1976, the government established two separate British colonies—Kiribati and Tuvalu. On October 1, 1978, Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state inside the Commonwealth; it is a constitutional monarchy headed by King Charles III. Tuvalu’s status as an independent country on the international scene was strengthened when it became the 189th member of the United Nations on September 5, 2000.

Though Tuvalu has a small land area and few resources, fishing and imports define much of its economy. The islands have little soil, thus farming is difficult. Licensing fishing permits to foreign businesses, grants and aid projects, and remittances from Tuvaluan seafarers operating cargo ships therefore support the economy. Being a low-lying island nation, Tuvalu is highly susceptible to the effects of climate change, especially sea level rise. As part of the Alliance of Small Island States, the nation actively participates in international climate negotiations, advocating more worldwide action to address climate change and its consequences on underdeveloped countries such as Tuvalu.