Tuvalu

Tuvalu, the former Ellice Islands, consists of a group of nine atolls in the Pacific, south of the former Gilbert Islands with which it formed a British colony (see Kiribati). Tuvaluans are a Polynesian people who probably settled in the islands some 2000 years ago. In 1974 the population voted for separation from the Micronesians living in the Gilbert Islands, and in 1978 Tuvalu became independent and joined the British Commonwealth. The economy is mainly based on subsistence farming and fishing. Other sources of income are licence fees from the use of Tuvalu’s “tv” internet domain name and its telecommunication area code, and remittances from Tuvaluan workers overseas. Tuvalu benefits also from an international trust fund, established by Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Climate change and its effects on the sea level are of particular concern for Tuvalu, because the islands are very low-lying. The Church of Tuvalu (Protestant) is by far the largest church. Besides the small Catholic Church there are two other small churches, Pentecostal and Seventh-day Adventist.