The ruling family of Tonga, the last remaining Polynesian kingdom, can be traced back more than 1000 years. The 170-island group was first visited by the Dutch in the early-17th century, and later by the British seafarer Captain Cook, who dubbed the archipelago the 'friendly islands' in 1773. The adoption of Christianity by the ruling family which followed the arrival of Methodist missionaries in the 1820s and an overall policy of accommodation with the British - then the principal imperial power in the area - meant that the islands were not formally colonised.
King Taufa'ahau Tupou I, the great-great-great grandfather of the present ruler and the first chief to rule over all of Tonga, was the founder of the present dynasty and took power in 1831. He also introduced representative government to the islands during his reign. A Treaty of Friendship was signed with the British in 1879 which afforded Tonga the unique status of a 'Protected State' (as distinct from a Protectorate, which allowed for less autonomy in government). However, the British subsequently decided that the kingdom was better off as a protectorate, which it became in 1900.
Between 1918 and 1965, Tonga was ruled by Queen Salote Tupou III. Upon her death, she was succeeded by King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, who has ruled ever since and presided over the greatest change in Tonga's constitutional status.
In 1968, the islands assumed complete responsibility for internal affairs, before being granted full independence in 1970. King Taufu'ahau has pursued a uniformly pro-Western foreign policy, including (unusually for the region) expression of support for French nuclear testing in the Pacific. At home, there has been little by way of a threat to the dominant political position of the King. There are no organised political parties, and the Legislative Assembly, which meets once a year, does little more than ratify the edicts of the monarch. Critics of the regime continue to risk arrest and imprisonment.
The Human Rights and Democracy Movement, formed in 1992, began to apply consistent pressure on the King to democratise. So far, he has proved disinclined to do so at more than the most sedentary pace, but the performance of the Movement in the most recent election in March 2002 suggests that they have a significant political base. Prince Lavaka Ata Ulukalala took over the premiership in 1992, and was reappointed to the post in 2000. Changes are afoot, however: the King, who is in his 80s, is in poor health. Both traditionalists and reformers are preparing for the post-Taufu'ahau era, and, so far, the traditionalists have stolen a march: constitutional changes were put into effect in 2003 giving greater powers to the monarch and imposing strict limits on political opposition.
Wesleyan Church, Roman Catholic and Anglican. Small denominations of Muslim, Baha'i and Mormon faiths.
Social conventions:Shaking hands is a suitable form of greeting. Although by Western standards Tongan people are by no means rich, meals served to visitors will usually be memorable. A token of appreciation, while not expected, is always welcome, especially gifts from the visitor's homeland. Casual wear is acceptable, but beachwear should be confined to the beach. It is illegal for both men and women to go shirtless in public. Sunday is regarded as a sacred day, an aspect of Tongan life thrown into sharp relief by the controversy surrounding the so-called 'Tongan loop'.
The International Date Line forms a loop around the islands, thereby making them a day ahead of Samoa, even though Samoa is almost due north of Tonga. Members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church therefore maintain that a Tongan Sunday is really a Saturday, and are unwilling to attend church on a day which is only a Sunday because of an apparently arbitrary manifestation of international law. This complex and almost insoluble problem may cause visitors a certain amount of confusion, but travellers to Tonga are advised to respect the religious beliefs of the islanders.
Tongan and English.
