Beautiful Tuvalu is the Fourth Smallest Country in the World!

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Could Tuvalu Survive Global Climate Change?

The island nation Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world. It lies between Australia and Hawaii, in one of the most remote areas of the Pacific Ocean and stretches south of the Pacific to only 26 square kilometres.

This smallest country on earth consists exclusively of tropical reef islands and narrow coral atolls encompassing blue lagoons.

The following short article is about these islands, previously known as Ellice Islands. If you have any comment, or if you want to write about any other beautiful islands in the Pacific Ocean, please use the form on the bottom of the page. Thanks.

Tuvalu Ellice Islands Smallest Country in the World

Twelve thousands people live on nine small islands here. They have a distinctive Polynesian culture and a traditional way of life, where each family has its own societal task to perform in the community such as fishing or building of houses.

Tuvaluan came from Samoa and Tonga to settle on the islands about 3,000 years ago. However, some evidence of fire in the Caves of Nanumanga may give indication of human living there before this date.

The islands were under British influence during the late 19th century and Tuvalu was known as Ellice Islands. Britain administered those islands as protectorate from 1892 to 1916 and then the islands moved to be part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916 to 1974.

However, Ellice Islands voted for separation and born as Tuvalu with Funafuti as capital city. Then the country became fully independent within the Commonwealth in 1978.

The name Tuvalu means, "eight standing together". It is originated during the time that only eight of the nine islands were inhabited by people. However, in the future there might not be much to stand for it at all.

The highest point on the islands-group is just five meters above the sea level, which makes this country one of the most low-lying nations on Earth. The islands are extremely vulnerable to storms and changes in sea level as they have one of the most lowest maximum elevations in the world.

With an expected global sea-level rise by up to 60 centimetres at the end of the 21 century, the country will be flooded, and the intrusion of saltwater will damage farmland and important crops such as coconuts and the staple taro roots.

Rising sea temperatures and the accompanying acidification of the water will have a devastating impact on the country and may eventually end up killing the coral and destroying Tuvalu's essential coastal protection and the very foundation for life on the islands.

On top of all this hit the country is also affected by what is called "King Tide", which occurs when the tide rises to a higher level than normal.

Combined with the expected rise in global sea level, this could ultimately submerge the nation entirely, and may ultimately mean that the whole country inundated and that the people must immigrate to neighbouring countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

You can comment on this page about Tuvalu-islands or write about any other beautiful islands located on the Pacific Ocean. To do that, please use the following form and contribute to this page. Thanks.

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