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Islands of Tuvalu Tuvalu (i/tuːˈvɑːluː/ too-VAH-loo or /ˈtuːvəluː/ TOO-və-loo), formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. 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. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. Tuvalu has a population of about 10,837 people (2012). The total land area of the islands of Tuvalu is 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi). The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians. The pattern of settlement that is believed to have occurred is that the Polynesians spread out from Samoa and Tonga into the Tuvaluan islands, with Tuvalu providing a stepping stone to migration into the Polynesian Outlier communities in Melanesia and Micronesia. In 1568 Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña was the first European to sail through the archipelago. In 1568 during his first voyage he sighted Nui and during his second voyage in 1595 he sailed past Niulakita. In 1819 the island of Funafuti was named Ellice's Island; the name Ellice was applied to all nine islands. The islands were declared a British Protectorate by Captain Gibson of HMS Curacoa in 1892; then administered as part of the British Western Pacific Territories; and from 1916 to 1974 as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony. The result of the Ellice Islands self-determination referendum, 1974 was that the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony ceased to exist on 1 January 1976 and the separate British colonies of Kiribati and Tuvalu came into existence. Tuvalu became fully independent within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1978. On 17 September 2000 Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations. Enele Sopoaga has been the Prime Minister of Tuvalu since 2013. Before entering parliament Sopoaga work in the Ministry of Social Services and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sopoaga served as Tuvalu's High Commissioner to Fiji and as Tuvalu’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He has also served as the Vice-Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States. He has been described as "Tuvalu's climate change negotiator", tasked with raising the profile of the dangers posed by climate change in Tuvalu and other small island nations. He served as the main spokesman for these nations at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, and was one of the chief negotiators for global action on climate change, with Tuvalu receiving attention for its strong advocacy on the issue. Sopoaga was appointed the lead spokesperson for the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris. Sopoaga was elected to Parliament in the 2010 general election. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Environment and Labour in Prime Minister Maatia Toafa's short-lived government from September to December 2010. Following a change of government he became the leader of the opposition. In August 2013, the government of Willy Telavi ended following a motion of no confidence. Sopoaga was elected as prime minister and appointed his ministry. He remained as prime minister following the result of the Tuvaluan general election, 2015 (More...) Asenate Manoa (Nancy Manoa) is a Tuvaluan track and field athlete who represented Tuvalu at the 2008 Summer Olympics, at the 2009 World Championships & 2011 World Championships and at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Her event was the 100 metres sprint. Manoa has taken up powerlifting and won a bronze medal at the Pacific Games 2015 in the 72 kg category. Manoa was born 23 May 1992 on Kioa island in Fiji; Kioa was purchased by settlers from Tuvalu, who migrated from Tuvalu between 1947 and 1983. Tuvalu · Island countries · Polynesia · ▼ Tuvalu ► Buildings and structures in Tuvalu ► Environment of Tuvalu ► Geography of Tuvalu ► Government of Tuvalu ► History of Tuvalu ► Tuvaluan law ► Politics of Tuvalu ► Sport in Tuvalu ► Transport in Tuvalu ► Tuvalu-related lists File:Tuvalu Inaba-18.jpg Tengako peninsula The Tengako peninsula is at the north end of Fongafale islet of Funafuti atoll. At the end of the peninsula is Amatuku islet on which the Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute is located. 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 8 weeks before landing at Nukulaelae on 10 May 1861. Trading companies were active in Tuvalu from about 1850 to 1910; the companies engaged palagi traders who lived on the islands. The last of the palagi traders were Fred Whibley on Niutao, Alfred Restieaux on Nukufetau and Martin Kleis on Nui. Cyclone Bebe passed over Funafuti on October 21 & 22, 1972. It knocked down 90% of the houses and trees and caused extensive damage to Princess Margaret Hospital and other public buildings. On March 10 & 11, 2015 tidal surges, estimated to be 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft), that were caused by Cyclone Pam, swept across Nui, Nanumea, Nanumanga, Niutao, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, and Vaitupu; with Nui suffering the most damage. There are only 2 high schools in Tuvalu: Motufoua Secondary School, a boarding school on Vaitupu and Fetuvalu High School, a day school operated by the Church of Tuvalu, on Funafuti. A traditional sport played in Tuvalu is kilikiti, which is similar to cricket. At the 2013 Pacific Mini Games, Tuau Lapua Lapua from Nanumanga won Tuvalu's first ever gold medal in an international competition in the men's 62 kilogram snatch. (He also won bronze in the clean and jerk, and obtained the silver medal overall for the combined event.) At the 2015 Pacific Games, Telupe Iosefa from Nukulaelae won the gold medal in the powerlifting 120 kg male division. Oceania Hawaii Australia New Zealand Kiribati Papua New Guinea Micronesia Art Culture Demographics Districts Economy Geography History Music Politics WikiProject Tuvalu WikiProject Polynesia This list is transcluded from the tasks list page, to edit, click here Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Expand : Tuvaluan mythology, Music of Tuvalu, Art of Tuvalu Maintain : Football in Tuvalu Update : Politics of Tuvalu Verify : Economy of Tuvalu, Geography of Tuvalu Wikimedia Commons Tuvalu Images Wikinews File:Wiktionary-logo-simple.png Wiktionary Wikibooks What are portals? List of portals Featured portals