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The
Girls' Brigade International Council
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Tonga
| General Information |
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| Area |
688 Sq.Km ( 268 Sq.Mi.) |
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| Population |
98,000 |
| Currency |
1 Pa'anga/Tongan $ = 100 seniti |
| Capital |
Nuku'alofa |
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| Government |
Hereditary Constitutional Monarchy |
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| Head of State |
Prince Lavaka Ata Ulukalala |
GMT + 12hrs |
| Religions |
Christian |
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| Major Industries |
Agriculture, fishing and tourism |
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Geography |
| The Tongan archipelago consists of 171 diverse islands scattered over an area in the central Pacific Ocean. Tonga's nearest neighbours are Samoa to the north, Fiji to the northwest and New Caledonia, more then 1000km (600mi) west. The four main island groups - Tongatapu, He'apai, Vava'u and the Niuas lie in two parallel lines just east of the Lau Basin, where the sea floor is opening up. Less than 40 islands are inhabited and most of these have been converted to plantations or towns. Large areas of rainforest and bushland remains on the Niuas, ‘Eua and many of the volcanic islands. |
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| Climate |
| Tonga enjoys a comfortable climate with winter (July to September) temperatures ranging from 17°C to 22°C (62°F to 71°F), however rainstorms and strong southerlies can cause decidedly wintry weather. In the Summer (December to April), temperatures rise to between 25°C to 33°C (77°F to 91°F), although nights can still be cool. A light breeze often tempers the humidity, and the islands receive most of their annual rainfall late in the season. The archipelago lies squarely in the South Pacific's cyclone/typhoon belt, with the greatest possibility for wild weather from January to March. The big cyclones come around roughly every 20 years, with a medium one every three to four years. |
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| Wildlife |
| Tonga has seven officially protected areas, including five national marine parks and reserves, one national historic park, and the 'Eua National Park. Two species of iguana are resident in Tonga, as are several colonies of flying fox and large fruit bats that enjoy protection on the islands. Tonga supports surprisingly few species of birds, although it does give refuge to the blue-crowned lorikeet, the red shining parrot and the incubator bird - that leaves its eggs to hatch warmed by volcanic mud - found on Niuafo'ou. The main land attractions are the flowering plants, such as frangipani, several species of native hibiscus and the heilala, a small, sweet smelling red flower that has a festival in its honour. More than 100 species of tropical fish live in the reefs around the islands, where beautiful hard and soft corals and black coral grow in abundance. |
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| Cuisine |
| Tongan food is delightful, and consists mostly of root vegetables such as taro and sweet potato, coconut products, fresh fruit, roasted suckling pig, chicken, corned beef, fish and shellfish. The traditional Tongan feast gets cooked in an underground oven, umu, common throughout Polynesia. The most refreshing drink available is coconut juice, and the locally grown Royal Coffee is excellent. |
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The Girls' Brigade |
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Companies : |
CHURCH |
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COMPANY |
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CHAPLAIN |
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CAPTAIN |
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OFFICER |
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PIONEERS |
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SENIORS |
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JUNIORS |
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NATIONAL COUNCIL |
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| Age Groups : |
Juniors |
6 - 9 years |
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Seniors |
10 - 14 years |
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Pioneers |
15+ years |
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Uniform : Girls wear a white shirt, blue skirt, black sandals and a red sash |
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Badge Work : All badge work is based on the four sided programme |
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| National President : HRH Princess Nanasipau'u Tuku'aho |
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