东加(Tonga)

正式名称东加王国（Kingdom of Tonga）

南太平洋国家。面积750平方公里。人口约101,000（2001）。首都︰努瓜娄发。人民多为玻里尼西亚人後裔。语言︰东加语、英语（均为官方语）。宗教︰自由卫斯理会、天主教。货币︰潘加（T$）。东加领土是一个包含了169个岛屿的岛群，由北而南分成两条绵延800公里的平行列岛。东列低岛由珊瑚岩和石灰礁构成；西列岛则以山脉和火山地形为主，其中包括了四座活火山。该国属发展中的自由经济体系，主要以农业基础。生产以渔产、椰子、番薯和香蕉为主。旅游业亦重要。政府形式为君主立宪政体，一院制。国家元首暨政府首脑是国王，由枢密院辅佐。

至少在3,000年以前，拉佩塔文化的民族就在东加居留。东加人发展出一种分层的社会系统，以最高统治者为首，13世纪时将他的统治扩展到了夏威夷群岛。17世纪时荷兰人来到此地，但从1773年起才开始有效的接触，当时科克船长到达，并命名该群岛为「友谊群岛」。在国王图普一世统治时期（1845～1893）建立了现代的王国。1900年成为英国的保护国。1970年解散，前欧洲时期玻里尼西亚中唯一存留的古王国东加在国协内实现了完全的独立。

English version：

Tonga

Nation, South Pacific Ocean. Area: 290 sq mi (750 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 101,000. Capital: Nuku'alofa. The people are of Polynesian ancestry. Languages: Tongan, English (both official). Religions: Free Wesleyanism, Roman Catholicism. Currency: pa'anga. Tonga comprises an archipelago of about 169 islands that extends north to south in two parallel chains for about 500 mi (800 km). The eastern islands are low and formed of coral limestone; those in the west are mountainous and of volcanic origin, and four of the western islands have active volcanoes. The country has a developing free-market economy based mainly on agriculture. Chief products include fish, coconuts, sweet potatoes, and bananas. Tourism also is important. Tonga is a constitutional monarchy with one legislative house; the head of state and government is the king, assisted by the privy council. Tonga was inhabited at least 3,000 years ago by people of the Lapita culture. The Tongans developed a stratified social system headed by a paramount ruler whose dominion by the 13th century extended as far as the Hawaiian Islands. The Dutch visited the islands in the 17th century, but effective contact dates from 1773, when Capt. James Cook arrived and named the archipelago the Friendly Islands. The modern kingdom was established during the reign (1845-93) of King George Tupou I. It became a British protectorate in 1900. This was dissolved in 1970, when Tonga, the only ancient kingdom surviving from the pre-European period in Polynesia, achieved complete independence within the Commonwealth.