Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island country located in the Pacific Ocean, situated in Oceania, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna and north of Fiji. It comprises three reef islands and six true atolls spread out between the latitude of 5° to 10° south and longitude of 176° to 180°, west of the International Date Line. Tuvalu has a population of 10,640. The total land area of the islands of Tuvalu is 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi).
The Western Pacific nation of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is situated 4,000 kilometers (2,500 mi) and is 26 km northeast of Australia and is approximately halfway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna and north of Fiji.
The Prime Minister of Tuvalu is the head of government of Tuvalu. According to Tuvalu's constitution, the prime minister must always be a member of the Parliament, and is elected by parliament in a secret ballot. Because there are no political parties in Tuvalu, any member of parliament can be nominated for the role. Following parliament vote the Governor-General of Tuvalu is responsible for swearing the prime minister in.
The Parliament of Tuvalu, or Palamene o Tuvalu is the unicameral national legislature of Tuvalu.
The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national football team draws from players in the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground on Funafuti. The national team competes in the Pacific Games. The national team is controlled by the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA), which is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) but not a member of FIFA.
The monarchy of Tuvalu is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Tuvalu. The present monarch of Tuvalu is Queen Elizabeth II, who is also the Sovereign of 15 other Commonwealth realms. The Queen's constitutional roles are mostly delegated to the Governor-General of Tuvalu.
The Church of Tuvalu, is the state church of Tuvalu, although in practice this merely entitles it to "the privilege of performing special services on major national events". Theologically the Church of Tuvalu is part of the Reformed tradition.
Funafuti is an atoll on which the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu is located. It has a population of 6,025 people, making it the country's most populated atoll, with 56.6 percent of Tuvalu's population. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide. The average depth in the Funafuti lagoon is about 20 fathoms. With a surface of 275 square kilometres (106.2 sq mi), it is by far the largest lagoon in Tuvalu. The land area of the 33 islets aggregates to 2.4 square kilometres (0.9 sq mi), less than one percent of the total area of the atoll. Cargo ships can enter Funafuti's lagoon and dock at the port facilities on Fongafale.
Renewable energy in Tuvalu is a growing sector of the country's energy supply. Tuvalu has committed to becoming the first country to get 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. This is considered possible because of the small size of the population of Tuvalu and its abundant solar energy resources due to its tropical location. It is somewhat complicated because Tuvalu consists of nine inhabited islands. The Tuvalu National Energy Policy (TNEP) was formulated in 2009, and the Energy Strategic Action Plan defines and directs current and future energy developments so that Tuvalu can achieve the ambitious target of 100% renewable energy for power generation by 2020. The program is expected to cost 20 million US dollars and is supported by the e8, a group of 10 electric companies from G8 countries. The Government of Tuvalu worked with the e8 group to develop the Tuvalu Solar Power Project, which is a 40 kW grid-connected solar system that is intended to provide about 5% of Funafuti’s peak demand, and 3% of the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation's annual household consumption.
Global warming is dangerous in Tuvalu since the average height of the islands is less than 2 metres (6.6 ft) above sea level, with the highest point of Niulakita being about 4.6 metres (15 ft) above sea level. Tuvalu islands have increased in size between 1971 and 2014, during a period of global warming. Over 4 decades, there had been a net increase in land area in Tuvalu of 73.5 ha (2.9%), although the changes are not uniform, with 74% increasing and 27% decreasing in size. The sea level at the Funafuti tide gauge has risen at 3.9 mm per year, which is approximately twice the global average. The rising sea levels are identified as creating an increased transfer of wave energy across reef surfaces, which shifts sand, resulting in accretion to island shorelines, although this process does not result in additional habitable land.
Tuvalu participates in the Olympic Games in the Summer Olympics. They have yet to compete at the Winter Games.
Association football is the most popular sport in Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is governed by the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA). The TNFA became an associate member association of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) on 15 November 2006. The TNFA has been wanting to be a member of FIFA since 1987.
Football at the Tuvalu Games has been a regular event at the Tuvalu Games, is a competition organized by the Tuvalu National Football Association (TNFA). It is called also Tuvalu Cup.
The 2012 Tuvalu A-Division is the 12th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The season began on 4 February 2012 and finished on 17 March 2012. The champions were Nauti FC who won their seventh league title.
The 2002 season of the Tuvalu A-Division was the second season of association football competition. FC Niutao won the championship, their second consecutive title.
The 2007 Tuvalu A-Division was the third season of association football competition. The league was won by Nauti FC for the second time. the league returned to the single division format from the two pool format with a play-off used in the previous season. The league, which started on 17 February, was renamed, TNPF Soccer League.
The 2013 Tuvalu A-Division is the 13th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The season started on 9 March 2013 and finished on 6 April 2013. The champions were Nauti FC who won their eighth league title.
Women in Tuvalu continue to maintain a traditional Polynesian culture within a predominantly Christian society. Tuvaluan cultural identity is sustained through an individual’s connection to their home island. In the traditional community system in Tuvalu, each family has its own task, or salanga, to perform for the community. The skills of a family are passed on from parents to children. The women of Tuvalu participate in the traditional music of Tuvalu and in the creation of the art of Tuvalu including using cowrie and other shells in traditional handicrafts. There are opportunities of further education and paid employment with non-government organisations (NGOs) and government enterprises, education and health agencies being the primary opportunities for Tuvaluan women.
The 2014 Tuvalu A-Division is the 14th season of top flight association football in Tuvalu. The season started on 22 February 2014 and finished on 8 April 2014.
