Tonga is an island nation in Oceania, located in the South Pacific Ocean. The country has 100,000 inhabitants and includes 169 small islands, 36 of which are inhabited. See Tonga population density. The capital is Nukuʻalofa.

According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER, Tonga is located in the south Pacific Ocean, approximately 750 kilometers east of Fiji, 2,000 kilometers north of New Zealand, and 800 kilometers south of Samoa. Most of the islands are atolls, but there are a few larger islands, such as southern Tongatapu where the capital Nukuʻalofa is located, Eua, and northern Vava’u. The islands are flat, but not very low-lying. The highest point is on the island of Kao with 1,033 meters. The other islands have significantly lower highest points. Most of the islands are covered with plantations, but not with rainforest.

Tonga was loosely governed by the British Empire and was never formally colonized. It became fully independent in 1970. The country is a democratic monarchy. With an income of $7,100 per capita, Tonga is a bit more developed than the other Pacific island nations. However, the country is one of the most corrupt in the world. Agriculture and trade are Tonga’s main economic sectors.

Road Network

The two largest islands, Tongatapu and Vava’u, have a small road network. The paved road network includes 184 kilometers of road. There are no motorways or otherwise high-quality roads in Tonga, because of the short distances car ownership is not very high. The capital Nukuʻalofa is little more than a large village and has no urban-looking roads. There is a ring road around Tongatapu Island, with some shortcuts through the flat countryside. The island of Eua is barely populated, and there is only one main road between the two villages. On most atolls there are only a few short village roads, which are not always paved. In the north, a small road network is present on the island of Vava’u. The places here are also not much bigger than villages, and the roads are single carriageway. Road markings are often absent.

Road numbering

There is no road numbering in Tonga.

Signage

On the primary island of Tongatapu there are a number of signposts at important intersections. These are brown signposts with white letters. These are mostly stacking signposts. Some signposts indicate a wind direction in capital letters. The signposts have American influences in font and arrows. On many signposts, distances are also indicated with the indication ‘km’.