CAPITAL NUKUALOFA – POPULATION 119,009 – AREA 748 SQ KM – OFFICIAL LANGUAGES TONGAN, ENGLISH
This collection of almost 170 islands has been impressing tourists with its laid-back charm ever since Captain Cook dubbed them the ‘Friendly Isles’ after his visit. The death of King Tupou IV in 2006 saw rioting, with many Tongans wanting to move away from traditional monarchy to democracy. Much of rioting took place in the downtown area of Nuku’alofa. King Siaosi TupouV has done much to restore stability and tourism, and beyond the capital most of the country was untroubled – the outlying islands are still an ideal location to get away from it all.
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