Tuvalu Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
former: Ellice Islands

Data code TV

Government type democracy; began debating republic status in 1992

National capital Funafuti

Administrative divisions none

Independence 1 October 1978 (from UK)

National holiday Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution 1 October 1978

Legal system NA

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented byGovernor General Manuella TULAGA (since NA June 1994)
head of government : Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since 23 December 1996) and DeputyPrime Minister Ionatana IONATANA (since 23 December 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of theprime minister
elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by thequeen on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputyprime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election lastheld NA December 1996 (next to be held by NA 1997)
election results: Bikenibeu PAENIU elected prime minister; percent of Parliament vote- NA; Ionatana IONATANA elected deputy prime minister; percent of Parliamentvote - NA

Legislative branch unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono (12 seats - two from each islandwith more than 1,000 inhabitants, one from all the other inhabited islands;members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 November 1993 (next to be held by NA 1997)
election results : percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12

Judicial branch High Court; note - a chief justice visits twice a year to preside oversessions of the High Court

Political parties and leaders none

International organization participation AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, Sparteca,SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fijiis accredited to Tuvalu

Flag description 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 yellowfive-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

NOTE: The information regarding Tuvalu on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tuvalu Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tuvalu Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.