A miniature country with an area of only 26 square meters. km., became hostage to global warming and risks disappearing completely from the face of the Earth if the level of the World Ocean rises a little more. Fortunately, this depressing fact does not affect the way of life of the state, in which there is no army, no political parties, no illiterate people, no railroad, and the only decent hotel in the country is located practically on the airport runway. But at the same time, Tuvalu's athletes shone brightly at the opening of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
1. More than modest sizes
"Lagoon Islands", as the Spanish navigator Alvaro Mendanha de Neirav called the open archipelago in 1568, are located in the Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia. Now the territory of the independent state is made up of several narrow patches of land, consisting of 5 atolls and 4 islands of the Tuvalu archipelago. The tiny country has an area of only 26 square meters. m, but if you count with the water area, most of which is occupied by lagoons, then there will be 500 sq. km.
The fact that the highest point of one of the tiniest states in the world is located only 5 m above sea level can play a cruel joke with him. Scientists predict that in less than hundreds of years, the country may cease to exist, hiding in the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
Interesting fact: Even on such a global problem of the state, the cunning businessmen of the tourism industry decided to earn extra money. Now the slogan is circulating around the world: “Visit Tuvalu today. It may not be there tomorrow. " But it does not work, the country does not have any tourist base to meet and accommodate guests.
2. Democratic state with monarchical government
Despite the fact that Tuvalu has never been a bone of contention and a tidbit for stronger states, since 1892 the archipelago was under the British protectorate of Ellis Island, and in 1916 it became part of the British colony of Gilbert Island. And even the fact that in 1978 the country gained sovereignty and was declared a democratic state, it is formally ruled by the English Queen Elizabeth II.
Remarkable: The country is home to almost 12 thousand people, in fact, it is led by the Governor-General. The legislative body of the country is the Chamber of Assemblies, which consists of only 12 deputies, while they are elected on the basis of majority lists, because there is simply no party in Tuvalu.
3. Tuvalu does not have its own army
Tuvalu cannot afford to maintain an army as the country is considered one of the poorest in the world. But at the same time, the authorities manage to organize life in such a way that there is neither poverty nor beggars in the state. However, crime also does not roam due to the effective system of justice and the beneficial influence on the people of the congregations of elders that are present on every island. Law and order are maintained only by police detachments, which more closely monitor the sea space. There are also several units of the executive branch in the country - these are customs, immigration service and prison administration.
4. There is not a single river or lake in the whole country
Since the island nation's landmass is based on coral reefs in the seething waters of the Pacific Ocean, there is no reason to expect an abundance of freshwater lakes. It turned out that even a very tiny rivulet is absent in the vastness of the country, as well as fertile lands and wild animals, because the lowland area implies that salt water seeps to the surface, making it impossible to survive in natural conditions.
According to the Novate.ru editors, fresh water is the main value in the country, so Tuvalu residents buy concrete cisterns to collect and store rainwater.
5. The only airport in the country is the center of social life of the island
The largest island of the state of Tuvalu is Funafuti, where the capital is also located, and the only airport, which, although considered international, is connected only with the nearest islands of Fiji and Kiribati. And the terminal building itself, as well as its passenger traffic, can hardly be called a full-fledged airport. As it turned out, the airport has only one runway and a tiny structure that cannot even be called a station, let alone a terminal.
If for spoiled tourists the airport is a real laughing stock, then for local residents the runway has become a place of social interaction, a place of rest and communication, a salvation during a flood and a sports ground for the children of the island, where they can play a ball. "But what about the planes?" - you ask. It turns out that they are very rare guests there.
In good weather, flights happen a couple of times a week, and if it is rainy season or hurricane, then they are postponed indefinitely. For this reason, the only decent hotel in the country is also located at the edge of the runway to avoid arranging transfers. Therefore, very rarely arriving tourists can easily reach their rooms with amenities. And the best part for them is that the airliners taking off will not disturb sleep and rest.
6. There is no railway in the country
Given the terrain and the scattering of the islands among the waters of the Pacific Ocean (the minimum distance is 67 km, the maximum is 172 km), it is not surprising that none of them has a railway. Although paved highways appeared quite recently, in 2002, their length is more than modest - a total of 8 km and they are located only on the Funafuti island.
7. The literacy of the population in the country is 99%
Despite the fact that Tuvalu is one of the poorest countries in the world, most of the civilized countries of the world can envy the literacy of the population. It's no joke, according to statistics, 99% of the population is literate. And this is due to the fact that education in the country is absolutely free and compulsory.
Children between the ages of 6 and 15 are required to attend primary school, which is available on each of the islands. But only a select few can get into secondary school, because she was left alone for the whole country. Although after graduation, you can easily become a cadet at the Tuvalu Maritime School, or a student at the University of the South Pacific, located in Funafuti.
8. The inhabitants of the island state know neither winter nor summer
The lucky ones living on the territory of this island state have never felt temperature changes, because it is steadily hot all year round. The thermometer can record fluctuations of a maximum of 2-5 degrees.
Tuvalu has a tropical climate, with only two distinct seasons - the rainy season (November-April) and drought, which lasts from May to October. At the same time, the air temperature varies from 28 to 32 degrees Celsius.
9. Tuvalu has a National Olympic Committee
Despite the fact that Tuvalu is one of the smallest countries in the world (only the Vatican, Monaco and Nauru are smaller in area), since 2004 its athletes have been participating in the Summer Olympics. Since then, its representatives at the opening and closing ceremonies of grandiose sports festivals have amazed the world with their exotic costumes, but so far they cannot boast of significant achievements.
For obvious reasons, Tuvalu has never represented its team at the Winter Olympics.
10. There are no beaches on the territory of the island state
Oddly enough it sounds, but those who like to warm their bones on the white sand of the beach may not count on this in Tuvalu. There are no organized beaches in the country (the tourism industry is completely absent), although you can swim in the blue waters, but only in the lagoons. According to the Novate.ru editors, it is not recommended to enter the water from the outer side of the islands, because sharks can easily eat off the coast of the atolls. Seasoned travelers and locals alike point out that the best time to enjoy water activities is at low tide, when tiny lagoons with fantastically blue waters form.
States can disappear not only physically, often huge countries disappear only from the map of the world. As a rule, military actions and local conflicts influenced the fact that some subjects simply disintegrated, while others were absorbed by stronger ones. Learn more about how the redivision of the world took place in the XX century, you can from our next material.