Map of Tuvalu
Tuvalu is a country in Oceania with its capital at Funafuti, home to about 9,492 people across 25 km². The interactive map below plots 1 cities and towns and 1 ports recorded for Tuvalu in YearMaps.
- Population
- 9,492
- Area
- 25 km²
- Capital
- Funafuti
- Continent
- Oceania
Interactive Map of Tuvalu
Centred on Funafuti at 8.5167° S, 179.2166° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( too-VAH-loo) is an archipelagic country in the Polynesian sub-region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to Solomon Islands), northeast of Vanuatu, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna, and north of Fiji.
Tuvalu is composed of three reef islands and six atolls spread out between the latitude of 5° and 10° south and between the longitude of 176° and 180°. They lie west of the International Date Line. The 2022 census determined that Tuvalu had a population of 10,643, making it the 2nd least populated country in the United Nations, exceeding only Niue and the Vatican City in population. Tuvalu's total land area is 25.14 square kilometres (9.71 sq mi). It is the 4th smallest country in the world, the only smaller nations being Monaco, Naoero and Vatican City.
The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians arriving as part of the migration of Polynesians into the Pacific that began about three thousand years ago. Scholars believe that the Polynesians spread out from Samoa and Tonga into the Tuvaluan atolls, which then served as a stepping stone for further migration into the Polynesian outliers in Melanesia and Micronesia. In 1568, Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña became the first European known to sail through the archipelago, sighting the island of Nui during an expedition he was making in search of Terra Australis. The island of Funafuti, currently serving as the capital, was named Ellice's Island in 1819, with the islands later known collectively as the Ellice Islands. In 1892, a British protectorate was proclaimed over the islands and the nearby Gilbert Islands. They were incorporated into the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1916, subject to a resident commissioner based in the Gilbert Islands.
A referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a result, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony legally ceased to exist on 1 October 1975; on 1 January 1976, the old administration was officially separated, and two separate British colonies, Kiribati and Tuvalu, were formed. On 1 October 1978, Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state within the Commonwealth, and is a constitutional monarchy with Charles III as King of Tuvalu. On 5 September 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Tuvalu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Tuvalu
Voyagers from either Samoa or Tonga first populated Tuvalu in the first millennium A.D., and the islands provided a stepping-stone for various Polynesian communities that subsequently settled in Melanesia and Micronesia. Tuvalu eventually came under Samoan and Tongan spheres of influence, although proximity to Micronesia allowed some Micronesian communities to flourish in Tuvalu, in particular on Nui Atoll. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, a series of American, British, Dutch, and Russian ships visited the islands, which were named the Ellice Islands in 1819. The UK declared a protectorate over islands in 1892 and merged them with the Micronesian Gilbert Islands. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate became a colony in 1916. During World War II, the US set up military bases on a few islands, and in 1943, after Japan captured many of the northern Gilbert Islands, the UK transferred administration of the colony southward to Funafuti. After the war, Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands was once again made the colony’s capital, and the center of power was firmly in the Gilbert Islands, including the colony’s only secondary school. Amid growing tensions with the Gilbertese, Tuvaluans voted to secede from the colony in 1974, were granted self-rule in 1975, and gained independence in 1978 as Tuvalu. In 1979, the US relinquished its claims to the Tuvaluan islands in a treaty of friendship.
- Location
- Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia.
- Climate
- Tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
- Terrain
- Low-lying and narrow coral atolls.
- Highest point
- Unnamed location 5 m.
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m.
- Coastline
- 24 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 0 km.
- Natural resources
- Fish, coconut (copra)
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 60% (2023 est.); arable land: 0% (2022 est.); permanent crops: 60% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.); forest: 34.3% (2023 est.); other: 5.7% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low levels of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level.
- Geographic note
- One of the smallest and most remote countries on earth; six of the nine coral atolls -- Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae -- have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon.
- Languages
- Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
- Religions
- Protestant 92.7% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.9%, Brethren 2.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assemblies of God 1.5%), Baha'i 1.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 3.9%, none or refused 0.4% (2017 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Tuvaluan 97%, Tuvaluan/I-Kiribati 1.6%, Tuvaluan/other 0.8%, other 0.6% (2017 est.)
- Economy
- Upper middle-income Pacific island economy; extremely environmentally fragile; currency pegged to Australian dollar; large international aid recipient; subsistence agrarian sector; Te Kakeega sustainable development; domain name licensing incomes.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Tuvalu in Numbers
- Population
- 9,492
- GDP
- US$57.3 million
- GDP per person
- US$6,041
- Life expectancy
- 67.3 years
- Population growth
- -1.61% a year
- Population density
- 371 per km²
- Urban population
- 65.5%
- Surface area
- 26 km²
- Forest cover
- 39.6%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 35.2%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Tuvalu in Depth
History
The origins of the people of Tuvalu are addressed in the theories regarding the migration into the Pacific that began about 3,000 years ago. During pre-European-contact times, there was frequent canoe voyaging between the nearer islands including Samoa and Tonga. Eight of the nine islands of Tuvalu were inhabited. This explains the origin of the name, Tuvalu, which means 'eight standing together' in Tuvaluan (compare to *walu meaning 'eight' in Proto-Austronesian). Possible evidence of human-made fires in the Caves of Nanumanga suggests humans may have occupied the islands for thousands of years.
An important creation myth in the islands of Tuvalu is the story of te Pusi mo te Ali (the Eel and the Flounder), who are said to have created the islands of Tuvalu.
Geography and environment
Tuvalu is a volcanic archipelago, and consists of three reef islands (Nanumanga, Niutao and Niulakita) and six true atolls (Funafuti, Nanumea, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae and Vaitupu). Its small, scattered group of low-lying atolls have poor soil and a total land area of only about 26 square kilometres (10 square miles) making it the fourth smallest country in the world. The highest elevation is 4.6 metres (15 ft) above sea level on Niulakita; however, the low-lying atolls and reef islands of Tuvalu are susceptible to seawater flooding during cyclones and storms. The sea level at the Funafuti tide gauge has risen at 3.9 mm per year, which is approximately twice the global average.
Economy
From 1996 to 2002, Tuvalu was one of the best-performing Pacific Island economies and achieved an average real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 5.6% per annum. Economic growth slowed after 2002, with GDP growth of 1.5% in 2008. Tuvalu was exposed to rapid rises in world prices of fuel and food in 2008, with the level of inflation peaking at 13.4%. Tuvalu has the smallest total GDP of any sovereign state in the world.
The growth of GDP of Tuvalu was at a high point in 2019. The global pandemic resulted in a retraction in the level of GDP (−3.7% in 2020, −0.5% in 2021, and −2.3% in 2022). Tuvalu experienced a 7.9% GDP growth in 2023, however the growth was estimated to moderate to 3.3 percent in 2024.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Tuvalu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Tuvalu: Key Facts
| Currencies | Tuvaluan dollar, Australian dollar |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Tuvaluan, English |
| Head of state | Charles III |
| Head of government | Ben Do |
| Calling code | +688 |
| Internet domain | .tv |
| Highest point | Niulakita |
| Lowest point | Pacific Ocean |
| Established | 1 October 1978 |
Facts from Wikidata Q672 (CC0).
Visiting Tuvalu
Tuvalu is a group of nine low-lying islands and atolls in the South Pacific that form the fourth smallest country in the world. It is also one of the most isolated and remote independent countries in the world. Since its highest point is 3 metres above sea level, some studies predict that the majority of the land will be regularly inundated by the sea by the end of this century due to climate change. While the nation makes preparations for its possible demise, it still welcomes tourists to its beautiful beaches.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Tuvalu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Tuvalu
1 city recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Funafuti | 4,749 | — | National capital |
Ports in Tuvalu
1 port recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Funafuti Atoll | 49.4 m | Very Small | Pacific Islands & Hawaii | medium vessels |
Largest Islands of Tuvalu
2 islands recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.
Tuvalu
Island group · 101,779 km²
Tuvalu is an island group in Oceania (Polynesia), covering an estimated 101,779 km².
Tuvalu ( too-VAH-loo) is an archipelagic country in the Polynesian sub-region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to Solomon Islands), northeast of Vanuatu, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna, and north of Fiji.
Tuvalu is composed of three reef islands and six atolls spread out between the latitude of 5° and 10° south and between the longitude of 176° and 180°. They lie west of the International Date Line. The 2022 census determined that Tuvalu had a population of 10,643, making it the 2nd least populated country in the United Nations, exceeding only Niue and the Vatican City in population. Tuvalu's total land area is 25.14 square kilometres (9.71 sq mi). It is the 4th smallest country in the world, the only smaller nations being Monaco, Naoero and Vatican City.
The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians arriving as part of the migration of Polynesians into the Pacific that began about three thousand years ago.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Tuvalu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Island group
- Mapped extent
- 101,779 km²
- Size rank
- #58 of 445 islands
- Region
- Oceania
- Subregion
- Polynesia
- Coordinates
- -6.6958°, 177.3325°
- Summits:
- Tomanivi (1,323 m), Mauga Silisili (1,858 m), Mount Tabwemasana (1,877 m)
- Ranges:
- Owen Stanley Range (Oceania), Great Dividing Range (Oceania)
More about Tuvalu
Geography and environment
Tuvalu is a volcanic archipelago, and consists of three reef islands (Nanumanga, Niutao and Niulakita) and six true atolls (Funafuti, Nanumea, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae and Vaitupu). Its small, scattered group of low-lying atolls have poor soil and a total land area of only about 26 square kilometres (10 square miles) making it the fourth smallest country in the world. The highest elevation is 4.6 metres (15 ft) above sea level on Niulakita; however, the low-lying atolls and reef islands of Tuvalu are susceptible to seawater flooding during cyclones and storms. The sea level at the Funafuti tide gauge has risen at 3.9 mm per year, which is approximately twice the global average.
History
The origins of the people of Tuvalu are addressed in the theories regarding the migration into the Pacific that began about 3,000 years ago. During pre-European-contact times, there was frequent canoe voyaging between the nearer islands including Samoa and Tonga. Eight of the nine islands of Tuvalu were inhabited. This explains the origin of the name, Tuvalu, which means 'eight standing together' in Tuvaluan (compare to *walu meaning 'eight' in Proto-Austronesian). Possible evidence of human-made fires in the Caves of Nanumanga suggests humans may have occupied the islands for thousands of years.
An important creation myth in the islands of Tuvalu is the story of te Pusi mo te Ali (the Eel and the Flounder), who are said to have created the islands of Tuvalu.
Economy
From 1996 to 2002, Tuvalu was one of the best-performing Pacific Island economies and achieved an average real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 5.6% per annum. Economic growth slowed after 2002, with GDP growth of 1.5% in 2008. Tuvalu was exposed to rapid rises in world prices of fuel and food in 2008, with the level of inflation peaking at 13.4%. Tuvalu has the smallest total GDP of any sovereign state in the world.
The growth of GDP of Tuvalu was at a high point in 2019. The global pandemic resulted in a retraction in the level of GDP (−3.7% in 2020, −0.5% in 2021, and −2.3% in 2022). Tuvalu experienced a 7.9% GDP growth in 2023, however the growth was estimated to moderate to 3.3 percent in 2024.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Tuvalu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Tuvalu: Key Facts
| Area | 25.1 km² |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,643 (2022) |
| Highest point | Niulakita |
Facts from Wikidata Q672 (CC0).
Visiting Tuvalu
Tuvalu is a group of nine low-lying islands and atolls in the South Pacific that form the fourth smallest country in the world. It is also one of the most isolated and remote independent countries in the world. Since its highest point is 3 metres above sea level, some studies predict that the majority of the land will be regularly inundated by the sea by the end of this century due to climate change. While the nation makes preparations for its possible demise, it still welcomes tourists to its beautiful beaches.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Tuvalu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nukufetau
Island · 83 km²
Nukufetau is an island in Oceania (Polynesia), covering an estimated 83 km².
Nukufetau is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu. The atoll was claimed by the US under the Guano Islands Act some time in the 19th century and was ceded in a treaty of friendship concluded in 1979 and coming into force in 1983. It has a population of 581 who live on Savave islet (2022 Census).
Adapted from Wikipedia: Nukufetau (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Island
- Mapped extent
- 83 km²
- Size rank
- #404 of 445 islands
- Region
- Oceania
- Subregion
- Polynesia
- Coordinates
- -8.0446°, 178.3840°
- Summits:
- Tomanivi (1,323 m), Mauga Silisili (1,858 m), Lata Mountain (966 m)
- Ranges:
- Owen Stanley Range (Oceania), Great Dividing Range (Oceania)
More about Nukufetau
Geography
The biggest island is Motulalo. In the late 19th century, after the coming of the missionaries, the people of Nukufetau lived on Fale islet before shifting to Savave which is on the lagoon side of the Fale settlement.
On Savave islet 331 people live in Aulotu and 191 live in Maneapa (2012 census).
History
The traditional history of Nukufetau is that a party of Tongans were the first people to settle. When they landed they found only one fetau (or fetaʻu in Tongan) tree growing on the atoll, so they called the place Nukufetau – the island of the fetau. They planted coconut trees and settled on Fale on the western side of the atoll.
Arent Schuyler de Peyster, of New York, captain of the armed brigantine or privateer Rebecca, sailing under British colours, passed through the southern Tuvalu waters in May 1819 sighting Nukufetau.
In 1820 the Russian explorer Mikhail Lazarev visited Nukufetau as commander of the Mirny.
The United States Exploring Expedition under Charles Wilkes visited Nukufetau in 1841.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Nukufetau (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nukufetau: Key Facts
| Area | 3 km² |
|---|---|
| Surrounded by | Pacific Ocean |
Facts from Wikidata Q745924 (CC0).
More Maps in Oceania
Tuvalu: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Tuvalu?
- The capital of Tuvalu is Funafuti.
- What is the population of Tuvalu?
- Tuvalu has a population of about 9,492, the #220 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Tuvalu?
- Tuvalu covers 25 km², ranking #222 by area, with about 380 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Tuvalu in?
- Tuvalu is in Oceania.
- What is the largest city in Tuvalu?
- Funafuti is the largest city in Tuvalu, with a metropolitan population of about 4,749.