| Government | Tuvalu |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
local long form: none
local short form: Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands
note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands |
Dependency status:
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void |
Government type:
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parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm |
Capital:
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name: Funafuti
geographic coordinates: 8 30 S, 179 12 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet |
Administrative divisions:
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none |
Dependent areas:
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void |
Independence:
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1 October 1978 (from the UK) |
National holiday:
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Independence Day, 1 October (1978) |
Constitution:
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1 October 1978 |
Legal system:
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mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law |
International law organization participation:
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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Iakoba TAEIA Italeli (since May 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Willie TELAVI (since 24 December 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of parliament following parliamentary elections
election results: Willie TELAVI elected prime minister in a parliamentary election on 24 December 2010 following a no-confidence vote on 21 December 2010 that ousted Maatia TOAFA |
Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 16 September 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 15; 10 members reelected |
Judicial branch:
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High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction) |
Political parties and leaders:
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there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings |
Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
International organization participation:
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ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, IDA, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO |
Diplomatic representation in the US:
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Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534, fax: [1] (212) 937-0692 |
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu |
Flag description:
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light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow, five-pointed stars on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean |
National symbol(s):
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void |
Government - note:
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void |
National anthem:
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name: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty)
lyrics/music: Afaese MANOA
note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto |
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