A group of more than 170 islands spread over an area of the South Pacific roughly the size of Japan, Tonga is the last Polynesian monarchy. A deeply conservative, Christian country, Tonga voted in its first popularly elected parliament in 2010, ending 165 years of feudal rule. In 2015, the country elected its first non-noble prime minister. A former British protectorate, Tonga became fully independent in 1970, though it was never formally colonised.
Tonga has no strategic or mineral resources and relies on agriculture, fishing and the money sent home by Tongans living abroad, many of them in New Zealand. Unemployment is high, particularly among the young (BBC, 2018).
Funding opportunities
Related articles
Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Professor Paul Monks, will deliver a keynote speech at COP26, marking the work and impact of the Met Office...
By Wan Nur Syazana Wan Mohamad Ariffin, Eva Vivian Justine, Muhammad Ashraf Abdul Rahman, Nurul Kamila Mohd Yusof, Wan Mohd Syazwan Wan Solahudin (GCRF Blue Communities Malaysia) “I have...
Dengue is the fastest spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. About half of the world’s population is at risk. There are an estimated 100-400 million infections each year, with...
Global Challenges Research Fund
We help UK and international researchers and innovators address the key issues affecting developing countries.
Newton Fund
We build research and innovation partnerships with countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to support social and economic welfare, tackle global challenges and develop talent and careers.