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Capital: Nuku’alofa

Population: 101,134 (2006 census)

Land Area: 718 sq km

No. of Islands: 171 islands and atolls

Lat/Long: 20 S, 175 W

Terrain: limestone islands formed from uplifted coral formation; some have limestone overlying volcanic rock base

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; slight seasonal variations in temperature

Common Flora: Interior rainforests characterize the higher islands, while the atolls have ground covers, such as Sesuvium, and salt-hardy trees, like Coconut palms.

Common Fauna: 50+ native species of birds, as well as migratory species. The greatest variety of fauna is in the marine environment, with a wide variety of fish and crustaceans.

Notes: There are three major island groups in Tonga: Tongatapu Group, Ha’apai Group, and Vava’u Group.
Tonga was formerly known as “The Friendly Isles”.
Tonga is the only constitutional monarchy in the Pacific.