The kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian archipelago consisting of 169 islands, thirty-six of which are inhabited. There are four major island groups: Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Vava’u and Niua. Its climate is semi-tropical: the warm season is December to May, the cold season is May to December. Neighbouring countries include the island nation of Samoa 887.2 km to the north, while New Zealand/Aotearoa is around 2,383.65 km to the south.
WARRIOR EMPIRE
Tonga was first inhabited some three thousand years ago by people of the Lapita culture. It was ruled from the 10th century on by a line of sacred kings and queens called the Tu’i Tonga. The country was politically and culturally influential throughout Polynesia, famed for its fierce warriors and skilful navigators. The Tongan empire had collapsed, however, by the time the first Europeans made contact. The Dutch arrived in the 17th century and the British in the 18th century. Tonga became known in the West as the Friendly Islands because of the reception British Captain James Cook apparently received when he arrived in 1773. However, it is now believed that the Tongans wanted to attack Cook, but could not decide on when!
MISSIONARY INFLUENCE
Western Methodist missionaries arrived in the 19th century. They converted Tu’i Kanokupolu Tāufa’āhau, the head of a Tongan dynasty, to Christianity. Despite not belonging to the main monarchy in Tonga, in 1845 he ascended to the throne, adopting the name King George Tupou I. The Tu’i Tonga confronted the new king, but failed to remove him. Under King George and his descendants, missionaries founded schools, a western-style middle class formed, and western business practices were established.
BRITISH IMPOSITION
While Tonga is said to be the only country in Polynesia that was never colonised, it was a British protectorate from 1900 to 1970. The Tongan monarch remained the highest political power in the country, but all foreign affairs went through a British consul. Queen Salote Tupou III resented this, viewing westerners as a threat to the Tongan way of life. Educated in New Zealand, during her rule from 1918 to 1965 she championed education, particularly for girls. When Tonga became fully independent in 1970, it remained a member of the Commonwealth. Surprisingly, Tonga had a feudal system of government well into the 21st century. That changed, however, in 2006 when Tonga’s capital city Nuku’alofa became the scene of massive pro-democracy riots. In 2010, Tonga voted in its first democratically-elected parliament.
EDUCATION AND WORK
Education in Tonga is free and compulsory for all children up to the age of fourteen. The official language is Tongan, but English is taught in schools. The country has a 95 per cent literacy rate, but still relies on an economy based on agriculture and fishing. Unemployment is high, and many young people move abroad, particularly to New Zealand/Aotearoa, to work. The money they send home is the primary source of income for families, who otherwise depend on their own plots of land to grow food.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Tourism is of great importance. On Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, the Mapu ‘a Vaea blowholes run along 5 km of coastline; waves crash into caves and water shoots up out of holes high into the air. Anahulu Cave, on the east coast of Tongatapu, is a stalactite-filled limestone cave with a freshwater pool. The village of Kolovai is where hundreds of flying foxes (or fruit bats) reside in trees. Snorkelling, swimming and whalewatching are also popular in Tonga. Stunning beaches include Houmale’eia Beach in the Ha’apai island group. Tongan waters are home to native sea turtles, while Eua National Park provides a safe refuge for humpback whales that migrate from the Antarctic between June and October. Maninita Island provides an important habitat for nineteen species of birds, including the Tongan whistler. Mount Talau National Park on the island of Vava’u is named after the flat-topped mountain that rises up 131 meters. The park was established to preserve endangered tree and plant species, as well as rainforest-dwelling48 birds and reptiles.
THE TONGAN WAY
The concept of “anga fakatonga” (the Tongan way) is an important part of the Tongan identity. Tongans place a high value on their families, paying respect to those of seniority and maintaining oral traditions of storytelling. Many think of Tonga as a matriarchal society, as women are highly respected. However, men and women are expected to fulfill designated roles. A senior woman, known as a ‘mehekitanga’, or ‘auntie’, shares power over a family group with her brother, but men are the breadwinners and socially regarded more highly than women, who cannot own land. Before missionaries reached Tonga, women went topless. Today, by law, women must dress modestly. Interestingly, though, Tongan families without female children sometimes let a boy dress and act like a girl, with little social stigma.
