_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to
November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
_#_Terrain: very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: severe tropical storms are rare
_#_Note: located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South
Pacific Ocean
_*_People
_#_Population: 9,317 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 33 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 63 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun--Tuvaluans(s); adjective--Tuvaluan
_#_Ethnic divisions: 96% Polynesian
_#_Religion: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day
Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.06%
_#_Language: Tuvaluan, English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: none
_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: democracy
_#_Capital: Funafuti
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: 1 October 1978 (from UK; formerly Ellice Islands)
_#_Constitution: 1 October 1978
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime
minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Palamene)
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Tupua LEUPENA (since 1 March 1986);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 16
October 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October
1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Parliament--last held 28 September 1989 (next to be held by
September 1993);
results--percent of vote NA;
seats--(12 total)
_#_Member of: ACP, C (special), ESCAP, SPC, SPF, UPU
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant);