Tuvalu

Tuvalu is a Polynesie island kintra locatit in the Pacific Ocean, situatit in Oceania, aboot haufwey atween Hawaii an Australie. It lies east-northeast o the Santa Cruz Islands (that belang tae the Solomon Islands), sootheast o Nauru, sooth o Kiribati, wast o Tokelau, northwast o Samoa an Wallis an Futuna, an north o Fiji. It is makkit up o three reef islands an sax true atolls spreid oot atween the latitude o 5° tae 10° sooth an longitude o 176° tae 180°, wast o the Internaitional Date Line. Tuvalu haes a population o 10,640 (2012 census). The tot laund area o the islands o Tuvalu is 26 square kilometre (10 sq mi). The first indwallers o Tuvalu war Polynesians. The oreegins o the fowk o Tuvalu are addressed in the theories regairdin migration intae the Pacific that begoud aboot 3000 year ago. In pre-European-contact times thare wis frequent canoe voyagin atween the islands as Polynesian navigation skills are recognised tae hae alloued deliberate jurneys on dooble-huil sailin canoes or ootrigger canoes. The paitern o settlement that is believit tae hae occurred is that the Polynesies spreid oot frae Samoa an Tonga intae the Tuvaluan atolls, wi Tuvalu providin a steppin stane tae faur migration intae the Polynesie ootliers in Melanesie an Micronesie. In 1568, Spainish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña wis the first European tae sail throu the airchipelago, sichtin the island o Nui in his expedition in sairch o Terra Australis. The island o Funafuti wis cried Ellice's Island in 1819; the name Ellice wis applied tae aw o the nine islands efter the wark o Inglis hydrografer Alexander George Findlay. The Ellice Islands cam intae Great Breetain's sphere o influence in the late 19t yeirhunner, as the result o a treaty atween Great Breetain an Germany relatin tae the demarcation o the spheres o influence in the Paceefic Ocean. Ilk o the Ellice Islands wis declarit a British Protectorate bi Caiptain Gibson o HMS Curacoa atween 9 an 16 October 1892. The Ellice Islands war admeenistered as a British pertectorate bi a Resident Commissioner frae 1892 tae 1916, as pairt o the Breetish Wastren Paceefic Territories (BWPT), an then as pairt o the Gilbert an Ellice Islands colony frae 1916 tae 1976. A referendum wis held in December 1974 tae determine if the Gilbert Islands an Ellice Islands shoud ilk hae thair ain admeenistration. As a consequence o the referendum, the Gilbert an Ellice Islands colony ceased tae exist on 1 Januar 1976, an the separate Breetish colonies o Kiribati an Tuvalu cam intae existence. Tuvalu becam fully independent athin the Commonweel on 1 October 1978. On 5 September 2000, Tuvalu becam the 189t member o the Unitit Naitions. References