30 Facts About Tonga

Tonga is a Polynesian country and archipelago. Its official name is the Kingdom of Tonga. There are 171 islands in the country, 45 of which are inhabited.

Tonga has been occupied for approximately 3,000 years. The first people to arrive were the Austronesian-speaking Lapita culture, famous for their ornately decorated pottery.

Tonga is Oceania's sole monarchy.

'Aho'eitu, Tonga's first king, was known as the Tu'i Tonga. He was the first in a line of nearly 40 men to hold the title when he came to power in the mid-tenth century.

Dutch explorers were the first Europeans to visit Tonga in 1616.

Captain James Cook, the famous British explorer, visited Tonga three times between 1773 and 1777.

Cook referred to Tonga as the "Friendly Islands" because the indigenous people welcomed him and his crew.

From 1900 to 1970, Tonga was a British protectorate. It was, however, never formally colonised. In 1970, it achieved complete independence.

Six Tongan teenagers survived on a remote uninhabited island for 15 months in 1965. The event was dubbed the "real Lord of the Flies" after William Golding's 1954 best-selling novel of the same name. A Hollywood studio recently purchased the rights to make a film based on the events.

From the 1830s to the 1840s, missionaries converted chief Taufa'ahau Tupou to Christianity, who then converted fellow islanders. Today, nearly all Tongans identify as Christian.

As a result, Tonga is a deeply conservative Christian country that observes the Sabbath strictly on Sundays. Swimming and other recreational activities are considered 'provocative' on Sundays.

Respectful dress is also very important in Tonga. It is illegal for both men and women to be topless in public.

Tonga consists of more than 170 islands spread across an area of the Pacific Ocean roughly the size of Japan.

The territory of Tonga straddles the International Dateline.

As a result, Tonga, along with Samoa and Kiribati, is one of the first countries to celebrate the New Year and see the first light of each day.

After an underwater volcano erupted in Tongan waters in 2014, a new island called Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai was formed.

Tonga has only one native land mammal. The 'flying fox,' a large fruit bat with a one-meter wingspan, can only be found in Tonga.

Tongan King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV reigned as the world's heaviest monarch from 1965 to 2006. He weighed 210kg at one point before losing more than 75kg.

Tonga's flag features a red cross as a symbol of the country's deep Christian roots. The red in the flag represents the blood shed by Jesus during his Crucifixion, while the white represents purity.

Four of Tonga's islands have active volcanoes, including Tofua Island, whose crater is filled with hot water.

Tonga was devastated by Cyclone Gita in 2018, which was thought to be the worst storm to hit the country in 60 years. Winds of over 230km/h destroyed the country's Parliament building.

Tonga is famous for its thousands of blowholes known as Mapu'a 'a Vaea (Chief's Whistles). The blowholes, which are spread out along the coast for 5 kilometres, can shoot water up to 30 metres into the air.

Tonga successfully sued its court jester in an American court in 2004. The jester had squandered £13 million of the king's funds on risky investments.

Tonga is an excellent place to see humpback whales. From July to October, whales migrate from Antarctica to breed in the warmer waters of Tonga.

Stonehenge of the South Pacific can be found in Tonga. Some archaeologists believe the mysterious Ha'amonga 'a Maui (Maui's Burden) was built by Tu'itatui, the 11th Tu'i Tonga, while others believe it was built by ancient Chinese explorers.

Tonga, like many Pacific nations, has one of the world's fattest populations. According to a 2017 report, Tonga is the world's eighth most obese country.

Paea Wolfgramm, a boxer, won Tonga's first and only Olympic medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He took silver in super heavyweight boxing.

Pita Taufatofua, a Tongan athlete, rose to prominence at the 2016 Rio Olympics after breaking official rules by going shirtless during the opening ceremony. The footage quickly went viral on the internet.

Pita Taufatofua made headlines once more when he repeated his stint in subzero temperatures at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Seoul. He was Tonga's sole competitor.

Tonga is thought to have the highest per capita population of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons). Mormonism is practised by approximately 60% of Tongans.