TONGA. – Oceanic archipelago northeast of New Zealand.
It consists of approximately 150 islands, with a total area of 697 sq km, about half of which belongs to the largest island, Tongatapu (331 sq km). The islands, partly volcanic (to the west) and partly coral, are inhabited by Polynesians (46,000 souls), who engage in agriculture, fishing, and commerce (the principal products being sponges, copra, and bananas). The capital is Nukualofa. The T. Islands, or Friendly Islands, have formed an indigenous kingdom since 1845, placed under British protection in 1899.
BIBL.: A. H. Wood, A History and Geography of T., Nukualofa 1932. Giuseppe Caraci