Red cross on white field, arms equal length; national colors: red, white.
Title | "Ko e fasi `o e tu"i `o e `Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands) |
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Lyric/music | Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT |
Date of Independence | 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate status) |
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National holiday | Official Birthday of King TUPOU VI, 4 July (1959); note - actual birthday of the monarch is 12 July 1959, 4 July (2015) is the day the king was crowned; Constitution Day (National Day), 4 November (1875) |
Legal system | English common law |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
Constitution | |
History | Adopted 4 November 1875, revised 1988, 2016 |
Amendments | Proposed by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires approval by the Assembly in each of three readings, the unanimous approval of the Privy Council (a high-level advisory body to the monarch), the Cabinet, and assent to by the monarch; revised 1988; amended many times, last in 2013 |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | the father must be a citizen of Tonga; if a child is born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Tonga |
Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012) |
Head of government | Prime Minister Siaosi SOVALENI (since 27 December 2021) |
Cabinet | Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch |
Elections/appointments | the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch; election last held on 18 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025) |
Election results | 2021: Siaosi SOVALENI elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly; Siaosi SOVALENI 16 votes, Aisake EKE 10 2019: Pohiva TU'I'ONETOA (Peoples Party) elected prime minister by parliament receiving 15 of 23 votes cast |
Legislative branch | |
Description | Unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats statutory, 28 current); 17 people's representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 9 indirectly elected by hereditary leaders; members serve 4-year terms) |
Elections | Last held on 18 November 2021 (next to be held in November 2025) |
Election results | Percent of vote - NA; seats by party - independent 12, nobles' representatives 9, DPFI 3, TPPI 3; composition - men 26, women 2, percentage women 7.1% |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council, the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers |
Judge selection and term of office | Judge appointments and tenures made by the King in Privy Council and subject to consent of the Legislative Assembly |
Subordinate courts | Supreme Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land Courts |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Viliana Va’inga TONE (since 20 April 2021) |
Chancery | 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 |
Telephone | [1] (917) 369-1025 |
FAX | [1] (917) 369-1024 |
Email address and website | [email protected] |
Consulate(s) general | San Francisco |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Marie DAMOUR (since 6 December 2022); note - Ambassador DAMOUR is based in the US Embassy in the Republic of Fiji and is accredited to Tonga as well as Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu |
Embassy | Although the US opened an embassy in Tonga on 9 May 2023, the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga while the Embassy is being staffed |
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