Tonga

Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Economical characteristics

 * Currency: Paʻanga (ISO code: TOP)
 * Central bank discount rate:
 * Commercial banks lending rate: 12.47% (31 December 2009 )
 * Stock of money (M1): $36.16 million (31 December 2008)
 * Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $100.7 million (31 December 2008)

Links

 * Tonga on Wikipedia
 * Central bank of Tonga
 * Country profile (pdf) from the Enterprise Studies page (part of the The World Bank Group)
 * BBC country profile