什麼是東加

正式名稱東加王國（Kingdom of Tonga）

南太平洋國家。面積750平方公里。人口約101,000（2001）。首都︰努瓜婁發。人民多爲玻里尼西亞人後裔。語言︰東加語、英語（均爲官方語）。宗教︰自由衛斯理會、天主教。貨幣︰潘加（T$）。東加領土是一個包含了169個島嶼的島羣，由北而南分成兩條綿延800公里的平行列島。東列低島由珊瑚巖和石灰礁構成；西列島則以山脈和火山地形爲主，其中包括了四座活火山。該國屬發展中的自由經濟體系，主要以農業基礎。生產以漁產、椰子、番薯和香蕉爲主。旅遊業亦重要。政府形式爲君主立憲政體，一院制。國家元首暨政府首腦是國王，由樞密院輔佐。

至少在3,000年以前，拉佩塔文化的民族就在東加居留。東加人發展出一種分層的社會系統，以最高統治者爲首，13世紀時將他的統治擴展到了夏威夷羣島。17世紀時荷蘭人來到此地，但從1773年起纔開始有效的接觸，當時科克船長到達，並命名該羣島爲「友誼羣島」。在國王圖普一世統治時期（1845～1893）建立了現代的王國。1900年成爲英國的保護國。1970年解散，前歐洲時期玻里尼西亞中唯一存留的古王國東加在國協內實現了完全的獨立。

Tonga

Nation, South Pacific Ocean. Area: 290 sq mi (750 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 101,000. Capital: Nuku'alofa. The people are of Polynesian ancestry. Languages: Tongan, English (both official). Religions: Free Wesleyanism, Roman Catholicism. Currency: pa'anga. Tonga comprises an archipelago of about 169 islands that extends north to south in two parallel chains for about 500 mi (800 km). The eastern islands are low and formed of coral limestone; those in the west are mountainous and of volcanic origin, and four of the western islands have active volcanoes. The country has a developing free-market economy based mainly on agriculture. Chief products include fish, coconuts, sweet potatoes, and bananas. Tourism also is important. Tonga is a constitutional monarchy with one legislative house; the head of state and government is the king, assisted by the privy council. Tonga was inhabited at least 3,000 years ago by people of the Lapita culture. The Tongans developed a stratified social system headed by a paramount ruler whose dominion by the 13th century extended as far as the Hawaiian Islands. The Dutch visited the islands in the 17th century, but effective contact dates from 1773, when Capt. James Cook arrived and named the archipelago the Friendly Islands. The modern kingdom was established during the reign (1845-93) of King George Tupou I. It became a British protectorate in 1900. This was dissolved in 1970, when Tonga, the only ancient kingdom surviving from the pre-European period in Polynesia, achieved complete independence within the Commonwealth.