LOCATION: 2,250 km north-northwest of New Zealand, about two-thirds of the way between Hawai'i and New Zealand.
AREA: 718 sq km, or about four times the size of Washington, D.C.
POPULATION: 102,321 (July 2000 est.)
DISCOVERED: The Tongans have been established on their islands since about 1140 B.C. Anthropologists believe they came Fiji.
GOVERNMENT: "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845, then became a constitutional monarchy in 1875. In 1900, Tonga became a British protectorate until it acquired its independence in 1970. It remains a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and is the only remaining island kingdom in the Pacific. A member of the Tupou dynasty has ruled since 950 A.D.
