76-572: (Redirected from TUV ) Tuv or TUV may refer to: Places [ edit ] TUV, the ISO 3166-1 country identifier for the South Pacific island nation Tuvalu Tuv Province , Mongolia Tuv, a village in Hemsedal , Buskerud, Norway Other uses [ edit ] Mahindra TUV 300 , an Indian SUV Technischer Überwachungsverein , abbreviated TÜV,
152-608: A London Missionary Society (LMS) school in Samoa, before beginning his work in establishing the Church of Tuvalu . In 1865, the Rev. Archibald Wright Murray of the LMS, a Protestant congregationalist missionary society, arrived as the first European missionary; he also evangelised among the inhabitants of Tuvalu. By 1878 Protestantism was considered well established, as there were preachers on each island. In
228-750: A resident commissioner to administer the Ellice Islands as part of the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT). From 1916 to 1975, they were managed as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony. A referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a result, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony legally ceased to exist on 1 October 1975; on 1 January 1976,
304-547: A German safety monitoring agency Toyota TUV , the Toyota Utility Vehicle Traditional Unionist Voice , a Northern Irish political party tuv, the ISO 639-3 language identifier for the Turkana language Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Tuv . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
380-495: A consequence of the referendum, separation occurred in two stages. The Tuvaluan Order 1975, which took effect on 1 October 1975, recognised Tuvalu as a separate Crown Colony with its own government. The second stage occurred on 1 January 1976, when separate administrations were created out of the civil service of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. In 1976, Tuvalu adopted the Tuvaluan dollar , whose currency circulates alongside
456-419: A dry season from May to October. Westerly gales and heavy rain are the predominant weather conditions from November to April, the period that is known as Tau-o-lalo , with tropical temperatures moderated by easterly winds from May to October. Tuvalu experiences the effects of El Niño and La Niña , which is caused by changes in ocean temperatures in the equatorial and central Pacific. El Niño effects increase
532-704: A new population by a very small number of individuals from a larger population, which also causes a loss of genetic variation. Soares et al. (2008) argued for an older pre- Holocene Sundaland origin in Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) based on mitochondrial DNA . The "out of Taiwan" model was challenged by a study from Leeds University published in Molecular Biology and Evolution . Examination of mitochondrial DNA lineages indicates that they have been evolving in ISEA for longer than previously believed. Ancestors of
608-602: A process of decolonisation; as a consequence, the British colonies in the Pacific started on a path to self-determination . In 1974, the ministerial government was introduced to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony through a change to the Constitution. In that year a general election was held, and a referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As
684-460: A shore camp on Sakalua islet of Nukufetau , where coal was used to melt down the whale blubber. Christianity came to Tuvalu in 1861 when Elekana , a deacon of a Congregational church in Manihiki , Cook Islands , became caught in a storm and drifted for eight weeks before landing at Nukulaelae on 10 May 1861. Elekana began preaching Christianity. He was trained at Malua Theological College,
760-415: A significant amount of soil, so the country relies heavily on imports and fishing for food. Licensing fishing permits to international companies, grants and aid projects, and remittances to their families from Tuvaluan seafarers who work on cargo ships are important parts of the economy. Because it is a low-lying island nation, the country is extremely vulnerable to sea level rise due to climate change . It
836-489: A single trader. In the 1890s, structural changes occurred in the operation of the Pacific trading companies; they moved from a practice of having traders resident on each island to instead becoming a business operation where the supercargo (the cargo manager of a trading ship) would deal directly with the islanders when a ship visited an island. After the high point in the 1880s, the numbers of palagi traders in Tuvalu declined;
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#1732851485527912-460: A total land area of only about 26 square kilometres (10 square miles) making it the fourth smallest country in the world . The highest elevation is 4.6 metres (15 ft) above sea level on Niulakita ; however the low-lying atolls and reef islands of Tuvalu are susceptible to seawater flooding during cyclones and storms. The sea level at the Funafuti tide gauge has risen at 3.9 mm per year, which
988-484: Is active in international climate negotiations as part of the Alliance of Small Island States . The origins of the people of Tuvalu are addressed in the theories regarding the migration into the Pacific that began about 3,000 years ago. During pre-European-contact times, there was frequent canoe voyaging between the nearer islands including Samoa and Tonga . Eight of the nine islands of Tuvalu were inhabited. This explains
1064-686: Is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean , about midway between Hawaii and Australia . It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands ), northeast of Vanuatu , southeast of Nauru , south of Kiribati , west of Tokelau , northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna , and north of Fiji . Tuvalu is composed of three reef islands and six atolls spread out between
1140-470: Is approximately twice the global average. However, over four decades, there had been a net increase in land area of the islets of 73.5 ha (2.9%), although the changes are not uniform, with 74% increasing and 27% decreasing in size. A 2018 report stated that 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. The Tuvalu Prime Minister objected to
1216-534: Is now Kiribati . The United States Marine Corps landed on Funafuti on 2 October 1942, and on Nanumea and Nukufetau in August 1943. Funafuti was used as a base to prepare for the subsequent seaborne attacks on the Gilbert Islands ( Kiribati ) that were occupied by Japanese forces. The islanders assisted the American forces to build airfields on Funafuti, Nanumea and Nukufetau and to unload supplies from ships. On Funafuti,
1292-667: The Australian dollar , which was previously adopted in 1966. Elections to the House of Assembly of the British Colony of Tuvalu were held on 27 August 1977, with Toaripi Lauti being appointed chief minister in the House of Assembly of the Colony of Tuvalu on 1 October 1977. The House of Assembly was dissolved in July 1978, with the government of Toaripi Lauti continuing as a caretaker government until
1368-656: The British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT), by a Resident Commissioner based in the Gilbert Islands. The administration of the BWPT ended in 1916, and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony was established, which existed until October 1975. During the Second World War , as a British colony the Ellice Islands were aligned with the Allies . Early in the war, the Japanese invaded and occupied Makin , Tarawa and other islands in what
1444-595: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992, and ratified it in December 2002. The predominant vegetation type on the islands of Tuvalu is the cultivated coconut woodland, which covers 43% of the land. The native broadleaf forest is limited to 4.1% of the vegetation types. Tuvalu contains the Western Polynesian tropical moist forests terrestrial ecoregion. The eastern shoreline of Funafuti Lagoon on Fongafale
1520-973: The Marquesas . From here, they expanded further to Hawaii by 900 AD, Easter Island by 1000 AD, and finally New Zealand by 1200 AD. Analysis by Kayser et al. (2008) found that only 21% of the Polynesian autosomal gene pool is of Australo-Melanesian origin, with the remaining 79% being of Austronesian origin. Another study by Friedlaender et al. (2008) also confirmed that some Polynesians are genetically closer to Micronesians , Taiwanese Aborigines , and Islander Southeast Asians . The study concluded that Polynesians moved through Melanesia fairly rapidly, allowing only limited admixture between Austronesians and Papuans. Polynesians predominantly belong to Haplogroup B (mtDNA), particularly to mtDNA B4a1a1 (the Polynesian motif). The high frequencies of mtDNA B4 in Polynesians are
1596-399: The Solomon Islands , Tonga and Vanuatu ) launched the "Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific", calling for the phase out fossil fuels and the 'rapid and just transition ' to renewable energy and strengthening environmental law including introducing the crime of ecocide . Tuvalu experiences two distinct seasons, a wet season from November to April and
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#17328514855271672-493: The Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project . Sand was dredged from the lagoon to construct a platform on Fongafale islet that is 780 metres (2,560 ft) meters long and 100 metres (330 ft) meters wide, giving a total area of approximately 7.8 ha. (19.27 acres), which is designed to remain above sea level rise and the reach of storm waves beyond the year 2100. The platform starts from the northern boundary of
1748-864: The United States ( Hawaii and American Samoa ), as well as in the British Overseas Territory of the Pitcairn Islands . New Zealand had the highest population of Polynesians, estimated at 110,000 in the 18th century. Polynesians have acquired a reputation as great navigators, with their canoes reaching the most remote corners of the Pacific and allowing the settlement of islands as far apart as Hawaii, Rapanui (Easter Island), and Aotearoa (New Zealand). The people of Polynesia accomplished this voyaging using ancient navigation skills, including reading stars, currents, clouds, and bird movements—skills that have been passed down through successive generations to
1824-486: The coral reefs through the introduction of foraminifera . The project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency is designed to increase the resilience of the Tuvalu coast against sea level rise, through ecosystem rehabilitation and regeneration and through support for sand production. The rising population has resulted in an increased demand on fish stocks, which are under stress, although
1900-463: The islands of Tuvalu . Te Ali (the flounder ) is believed to be the origin of the flat atolls of Tuvalu and te Pusi (the eel ) is the model for the coconut palms that are important in the lives of Tuvaluans. The stories of the ancestors of the Tuvaluans vary from island to island. On Niutao , Funafuti and Vaitupu , the founding ancestor is described as being from Samoa, whereas on Nanumea ,
1976-569: The latitude of 5° and 10° south and between the longitude of 176° and 180° . They lie west of the International Date Line . The 2017 census determined that Tuvalu had a population of 10,645, making it the second-least populous country in the world , behind Vatican City , and the least populous country where English is an official language. Tuvalu's total land area is 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi). The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians arriving as part of
2052-483: The migration of Polynesians into the Pacific that began about three thousand years ago. Long before European contact with the Pacific islands , Polynesians frequently voyaged by canoe between the islands. Polynesian navigation skills enabled them to make elaborately planned journeys in either double-hulled sailing canoes or outrigger canoes . Scholars believe that the Polynesians spread out from Samoa and Tonga into
2128-717: The 1896 expedition, and during his stay on Funafuti he collected invertebrate and ethnological objects. The descriptions of these were published in Memoir III of the Australian Museum Sydney between 1896 and 1900. Hedley also wrote the General Account of the Atoll of Funafuti , The Ethnology of Funafuti , and The Mollusca of Funafuti . Edgar Waite was also part of the 1896 expedition and published The mammals, reptiles, and fishes of Funafuti . William Rainbow described
2204-526: The 1981 elections were held. Toaripi Lauti became the first prime minister on 1 October 1978, when Tuvalu became an independent state. That date is also celebrated as the country's Independence Day and is a public holiday. On 26 October 1982, Queen Elizabeth II made a special royal tour to Tuvalu. On 5 September 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations . On 15 November 2022, amidst sea level rises, Tuvalu announced plans as
2280-479: The 300 recorded in 1861 as living on Nukulaelae. The islands came into Britain's sphere of influence in the late 19th century, when each of the Ellice Islands was declared a British protectorate by Captain Herbert Gibson of HMS Curacoa , between 9 and 16 October 1892. Trading companies became active in Tuvalu in the mid-19th century; the trading companies engaged white ( palagi ) traders who lived on
2356-533: The European Union directed at organic waste composting in eco-sanitation systems. The Environment Protection (Litter and Waste Control) Regulation 2013 is intended to improve the management of the importation of non-biodegradable materials. Plastic waste is a problem in Tuvalu, for much imported food and other commodities are supplied in plastic containers or packaging. In 2023 the governments of Tuvalu and other islands vulnerable to climate change ( Fiji , Niue ,
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2432-466: The Funafuti Lagoon; beach areas were filled and deep-water access channels were excavated. These alterations to the reef and shoreline resulted in changes to wave patterns, with less sand accumulating to form the beaches, compared to former times. Attempts to stabilise the shoreline did not achieve the desired effect. In December 2022, work on the Funafuti reclamation project commenced, which is part of
2508-544: The Pacific, he passed Niulakita on 29 August 1595, which he named La Solitaria . Captain John Byron passed through the islands of Tuvalu in 1764, during his circumnavigation of the globe as captain of the Dolphin (1751) . He charted the atolls as Lagoon Islands . The first recorded sighting of Nanumea by Europeans was by Spanish naval officer Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa who sailed past it on 5 May 1781 as captain of
2584-590: The Pacific. Drilling occurred in 1896, 1897 and 1898. Professor Edgeworth David of the University of Sydney was a member of the 1896 "Funafuti Coral Reef Boring Expedition of the Royal Society", under Professor William Sollas and led the expedition in 1897. Photographers on these trips recorded people, communities, and scenes at Funafuti. Charles Hedley , a naturalist at the Australian Museum , accompanied
2660-548: The Polynesians are believed to be the Neolithic Lapita culture . This group emerged in Island Melanesia and Micronesia around 1500 BC from a convergence of Austronesian migration waves, originating from both Island Southeast Asia to the west and an earlier Austronesian migration to Micronesia to the north. The culture was distinguished by dentate-stamped pottery. However, their eastward expansion halted when they reached
2736-560: The Polynesians arrived in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea at least 6,000 to 8,000 years ago. A 2014 study by Lipson et al., using whole genome data , supports the findings of Kayser et al. Modern Polynesians were shown to have lower levels of admixture with Australo-Melanesians than Austronesians in Island Melanesia . Nonetheless, both groups show admixture, along with other Austronesian populations outside of Taiwan, indicating varying degrees of intermarriage between
2812-736: The Queen Elizabeth Park (QEP) reclamation area and extends to the northern Tausoa Beach Groyne and the Catalina Ramp Harbour. The reefs at Funafuti suffered damage during the El Niño events that occurred between 1998 and 2001, with an average of 70% of the Staghorn ( Acropora spp. ) corals becoming bleached as a consequence of the increase in ocean temperatures. A reef restoration project has investigated reef restoration techniques; and researchers from Japan have investigated rebuilding
2888-650: The Russian explorer Mikhail Lazarev visited Nukufetau as commander of the Mirny . Louis-Isidore Duperrey , captain of La Coquille , sailed past Nanumanga in May 1824 during a circumnavigation of the Earth (1822–1825). A Dutch expedition by the frigate Maria Reigersberg under captain Koerzen, and the corvette Pollux under captain C. Eeg, found Nui on the morning of 14 June 1825 and named
2964-671: The Treaty will involve Australia increasing its contribution to the Tuvalu Trust Fund and the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project . Australia will also provide a pathway for 280 citizens of Tuvalu to migrate to Australia each year, to enable climate-related mobility for Tuvaluans. Tuvalu is a volcanic archipelago, and consists of three reef islands ( Nanumanga , Niutao and Niulakita ) and six true atolls ( Funafuti , Nanumea , Nui , Nukufetau , Nukulaelae and Vaitupu ). Its small, scattered group of low-lying atolls have poor soil and
3040-501: The Tuvaluan atolls, which then served as a stepping stone for further migration into the Polynesian outliers in Melanesia and Micronesia . In 1568, Spanish explorer and cartographer Álvaro de Mendaña became the first European known to sail through the archipelago, sighting the island of Nui during an expedition he was making in search of Terra Australis . The island of Funafuti
3116-562: The armed brigantine or privateer Rebecca , sailing under British colours, passed through the southern Tuvaluan waters. De Peyster sighted Nukufetau , and Funafuti which he named Ellice's Island after an English politician, Edward Ellice , the Member of Parliament for Coventry and the owner of the Rebecca ' s cargo. The name Ellice was applied to all nine islands after the work of English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay . In 1820,
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3192-527: The atolls, an annular reef rim surrounds the lagoon with seven natural reef channels. Surveys were carried out in May 2010 of the reef habitats of Nanumea, Nukulaelae and Funafuti; a total of 317 fish species were recorded during this Tuvalu Marine Life study. The surveys identified 66 species that had not previously been recorded in Tuvalu, which brings the total number of identified species to 607. Tuvalu's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) covers an oceanic area of approximately 900,000 km . Tuvalu signed
3268-404: The central Pacific. The Janet Nicoll visited three of the Ellice Islands; while Fanny records that they made landfall at Funafuti, Niutao and Nanumea , Jane Resture suggests that it was more likely they landed at Nukufetau rather than Funafuti, as Fanny describes meeting Alfred Restieaux and his wife Litia; however they had been living on Nukufetau since the 1880s. An account of this voyage
3344-460: The chances of tropical storms and cyclones , while La Niñan effects increase the chances of drought. Typically the islands of Tuvalu receive between 200 and 400 mm (8 and 16 in) of rainfall per month. The central Pacific Ocean experiences changes from periods of La Niña to periods of El Niño. Polynesians Polynesians are an ethnolinguistic group comprising closely related ethnic groups native to Polynesia , which encompasses
3420-471: The creation of the Funafuti Conservation Area has provided a fishing exclusion area to help sustain the fish population across the Funafuti lagoon. Population pressure on the resources of Funafuti, and inadequate sanitation systems, have resulted in pollution. The Waste Operations and Services Act of 2009 provides the legal framework for waste management and pollution control projects funded by
3496-524: The dress and tattoo patterns of the men of Nukufetau. In 1885 or 1886, the New Zealand photographer Thomas Andrew visited Funafuti and Nui . In 1890, Robert Louis Stevenson , his wife Fanny Vandegrift Stevenson and her son Lloyd Osbourne sailed on the Janet Nicoll , a trading steamer owned by Henderson and Macfarlane of Auckland, New Zealand, which operated between Sydney and Auckland and into
3572-570: The first country in the world to build a self-digital replica in the metaverse in order to preserve its cultural heritage. On 10 November 2023, Tuvalu signed the Falepili Union treaty with Australia. In the Tuvaluan language, Falepili describes the traditional values of good neighbourliness, care and mutual respect. The Treaty addresses climate change and security, with security threats encompassing major natural disasters, health pandemics and traditional security threats. The implementation of
3648-457: The first humans to cross vast distances of water on ocean-going boats. Despite the popularity of rejected hypotheses, such as Thor Heyerdahl 's belief that Polynesians are descendants of "bearded white men" who sailed on primitive rafts from South America , Polynesians are believed to have originated from a branch of the Austronesian migrations in Island Melanesia . The direct ancestors of
3724-473: The founding ancestor is described as being from Tonga . Tuvalu was first sighted by Europeans on 16 January 1568, during the voyage of Álvaro de Mendaña from Spain, who sailed past Nui and charted it as Isla de Jesús (Spanish for "Island of Jesus") because the previous day was the feast of the Holy Name . Mendaña made contact with the islanders but was unable to land. During Mendaña's second voyage across
3800-501: The frigate La Princesa , when attempting a southern crossing of the Pacific from the Philippines to New Spain . He charted Nanumea as San Augustin . Keith S. Chambers and Doug Munro (1980) identified Niutao as the island that Mourelle also sailed past on 5 May 1781, thus solving what Europeans had called The Mystery of Gran Cocal . Mourelle's map and journal named the island El Gran Cocal ('The Great Coconut Plantation'); however,
3876-460: The genetics of modern Polynesians (as well as Islander Melanesians ) occurred after the settlement of Tonga and Vanuatu . A 2020 study found that Polynesians and the Indigenous peoples of South America came in contact around 1200, centuries before Europeans interacted with either group. There are an estimated 2 million ethnic Polynesians and many of partial Polynesian descent worldwide,
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#17328514855273952-409: The incoming Neolithic Austronesian settlers and the preexisting Paleolithic Australo-Melanesian populations of Island Southeast Asia and Melanesia . Studies from 2016 and 2017 also support the idea that the earliest Lapita settlers mostly bypassed New Guinea, coming directly from Taiwan or the northern Philippines . The intermarriage and admixture with Australo-Melanesian Papuans evident in
4028-640: The islanders shifted to the smaller islets so as to allow the American forces to build the airfield and Naval Base Funafuti on Fongafale . A Naval Construction Battalion ( Seabees ) built a seaplane ramp on the lagoon side of Fongafale islet, for seaplane operations by both short- and long-range seaplanes, and a compacted coral runway was also constructed on Fongafale, with runways also constructed to create Nanumea Airfield and Nukufetau Airfield . USN Patrol Torpedo Boats (PTs) and seaplanes were based at Naval Base Funafuti from 2 November 1942 to 11 May 1944. The atolls of Tuvalu acted as staging posts during
4104-638: The islands visited. Captain Davis identified the following traders in the Ellice Group: Edmund Duffy ( Nanumea ); Jack Buckland ( Niutao ); Harry Nitz ( Vaitupu ); Jack O'Brien (Funafuti); Alfred Restieaux and Emile Fenisot ( Nukufetau ); and Martin Kleis ( Nui ). During this time, the greatest number of palagi traders lived on the atolls, acting as agents for the trading companies. Some islands would have competing traders, while dryer islands might only have
4180-1111: The islands within the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean . They trace their early prehistoric origins to Island Southeast Asia and are part of the larger Austronesian ethnolinguistic group, with an Urheimat in Taiwan . They speak the Polynesian languages , a branch of the Oceanic subfamily within the Austronesian language family . The Indigenous Māori people form the largest Polynesian population, followed by Samoans , Native Hawaiians , Tahitians , Tongans , and Cook Islands Māori . As of 2012 , there were an estimated 2 million ethnic Polynesians (both full and part) worldwide. The vast majority either inhabit independent Polynesian nation-states ( Samoa , Niue , Cook Islands , Tonga , and Tuvalu ) or form minorities in countries such as Australia , Chile ( Easter Island ), New Zealand , France ( French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna ), and
4256-527: The islands. John (also known as Jack) O'Brien was the first European to settle in Tuvalu; he became a trader on Funafuti in the 1850s. He married Salai, the daughter of the paramount chief of Funafuti. Louis Becke , who later found success as a writer, was a trader on Nanumanga from April 1880 until the trading station was destroyed later that year in a cyclone . He then became a trader on Nukufetau . In 1892, Captain Edward Davis of HMS Royalist reported on trading activities and traders on each of
4332-485: The last of them were Fred Whibley on Niutao, Alfred Restieaux on Nukufetau, and Martin Kleis on Nui. By 1909 there were no more resident palagi traders representing the trading companies, although Whibley, Restieaux and Kleis remained in the islands until their deaths. The United States Exploring Expedition under Charles Wilkes visited Funafuti , Nukufetau , and Vaitupu in 1841. During this expedition, engraver and illustrator Alfred Thomas Agate recorded
4408-403: The later 19th and early 20th centuries, the ministers of what became the Church of Tuvalu ( Te Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu ) were predominantly Samoans, who influenced the development of the Tuvaluan language and the music of Tuvalu . For less than a year between 1862 and 1863, Peruvian ships engaged in the so-called " blackbirding " trade, by which they recruited or impressed workers, combed
4484-427: The latitude and longitude was uncertain. Longitude could be reckoned only crudely at the time, as accurate chronometers did not become available until the late 18th century. In 1809, Captain Patterson in the brig Elizabeth sighted Nanumea while passing through the northern Tuvalu waters on a trading voyage from Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia to China. In May 1819, Arent Schuyler de Peyster, of New York, captain of
4560-467: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tuv&oldid=1258594529 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Tuvalu Tuvalu ( / t uː ˈ v ɑː l uː / too- VAH -loo )
4636-468: The main island ( Fenua Tapu ) as Nederlandsch Eiland . Whalers began roving the Pacific, although they visited Tuvalu only infrequently because of the difficulties of landing on the atolls. The American Captain George Barrett of the Nantucket whaler Independence II has been identified as the first whaler to hunt the waters around Tuvalu. He bartered coconuts from the people of Nukulaelae in November 1821, and also visited Niulakita . He established
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#17328514855274712-404: The old administration was officially separated, and two separate British colonies, Kiribati and Tuvalu, were formed. On 1 October 1978, Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state within the Commonwealth , and is a constitutional monarchy with King Charles III as King of Tuvalu . On 5 September 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations . The islands do not have
4788-430: The origin of the name, Tuvalu, which means "eight standing together" in Tuvaluan (compare to *walu meaning "eight" in Proto-Austronesian ). Possible evidence of human-made fires in the Caves of Nanumanga suggests humans may have occupied the islands for thousands of years. An important creation myth in the islands of Tuvalu is the story of te Pusi mo te Ali (the Eel and the Flounder), who are said to have created
4864-411: The preparation for the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Makin that commenced on 20 November 1943, which were part of the implementation of "Operation Galvanic". After the war, the military airfield on Funafuti was developed into Funafuti International Airport . The formation of the United Nations after World War II resulted in the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization committing to
4940-463: The present day. Polynesians, including Samoans , Tongans , Niueans , Cook Islands Māori , Tahitian Mā'ohi , Hawaiian Māoli , Marquesans , and New Zealand Māori , are a subset of the Austronesian peoples . They share the same origins as the indigenous peoples of Taiwan , Maritime Southeast Asia , Micronesia , and Madagascar . This is supported by genetic , linguistic and archaeological evidence. There are multiple hypotheses regarding
5016-451: The report's implication that there were "alternate" strategies for Islanders to adapt to rising sea levels, and criticised it for neglecting issues such as saltwater intrusion into groundwater tables as a result of sea level rise. Funafuti is the largest atoll, and comprises numerous islets around a central lagoon that is approximately 25.1 kilometres (15.6 miles) (N–S) by 18.4 kilometres (11.4 miles) (W-E), centred on 179°7'E and 8°30'S. On
5092-406: The result of genetic drift and represent the descendants of a few Austronesian females who mixed with Papuan males. The Polynesian population experienced a founder effect and genetic drift due to the small number of ancestors. As a result of the founder effect, Polynesians are distinctively different both genotypically and phenotypically from the parent population, due to the establishment of
5168-408: The site now called Darwin's Drill , are the result of drilling conducted by the Royal Society of London for the purpose of investigating the formation of coral reefs to determine whether traces of shallow water organisms could be found at depth in the coral of Pacific atolls. This investigation followed the work on The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs conducted by Charles Darwin in
5244-553: The smaller islands of Polynesia from Easter Island in the eastern Pacific to Tuvalu and the southern atolls of the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati). They sought recruits to fill the extreme labour shortage in Peru. On Funafuti and Nukulaelae, the resident traders facilitated the recruiting of the islanders by the "blackbirders". The Rev. Archibald Wright Murray, the earliest European missionary in Tuvalu, reported that in 1863 about 170 people were taken from Funafuti and about 250 were taken from Nukulaelae, as there were fewer than 100 of
5320-445: The spiders and insects collected at Funafuti in The insect fauna of Funafuti . Harry Clifford Fassett , captain's clerk and photographer, recorded people, communities and scenes at Funafuti in 1900 during a visit of USFC Albatross when the United States Fish Commission was investigating the formation of coral reefs on Pacific atolls. The Ellice Islands were administered as a British Protectorate from 1892 to 1916, as part of
5396-408: The ultimate origin and mode of dispersal of the Austronesian peoples , but the most widely accepted theory is that modern Austronesians originated from migrations out of Taiwan between 3000 and 1000 BC. Using relatively advanced maritime innovations such as the catamaran , outrigger boats , and crab claw sails , they rapidly colonized the islands of both the Indian and Pacific oceans. They were
5472-523: The western Polynesian islands of Fiji , Samoa , and Tonga by around 900 BC. This remained the furthest extent of the Austronesian expansion in the Pacific for approximately 1,500 years, during which the Lapita culture in these islands abruptly lost the technology of pottery-making for unknown reasons. They resumed their eastward migrations around 700 AD, spreading to the Cook Islands , French Polynesia , and
5548-531: Was approved so that 10 borrow pits would be filled with sand from the lagoon, leaving Tafua Pond, which is a natural pond. The New Zealand Government funded the BPR project. The project was carried out in 2015, with 365,000 sqm of sand being dredged from the lagoon to fill the holes and improve living conditions on the island. This project increased the usable land space on Fongafale by eight per cent. During World War II, several piers were also constructed on Fongafale in
5624-509: Was modified during World War II when the airfield (now Funafuti International Airport ) was constructed. The coral base of the atoll was used as fill to create the runway. The resulting borrow pits impacted the fresh-water aquifer . In the low-lying areas of Funafuti, the sea water can be seen bubbling up through the porous coral rock to form pools with each high tide. In 2014, the Tuvalu Borrow Pits Remediation (BPR) project
5700-429: Was named Ellice's Island in 1819. Later, the whole group was named Ellice Islands by English hydrographer Alexander George Findlay . In the late 19th century, Great Britain claimed control over the Ellice Islands, designating them as within their sphere of influence. Between 9 and 16 October 1892, Captain Herbert Gibson of HMS Curacoa declared each of the Ellice Islands a British protectorate . Britain assigned
5776-486: Was written by Fanny Stevenson and published under the title The Cruise of the Janet Nichol , together with photographs taken by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne. In 1894, Count Rudolf Festetics de Tolna, his wife Eila ( née Haggin) and her daughter Blanche Haggin visited Funafuti aboard the yacht Le Tolna . The Count spent several days photographing men and women on Funafuti. The boreholes on Funafuti, at
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