Tonga

Where the name comes from

Tonga means “south” in related Polynesian languages, reflecting the islands’ position south of Samoa.

First people

Settlers linked to the Lapita culture arrived around 3,000 years ago and helped form Polynesian societies.¹

Known for

Tonga is known for ngatu, bark cloth that women beat and paint together and give at weddings, funerals and royal ceremonies.²

Outside contact

Abel Tasman’s Dutch expedition reached the islands in 1643, and Methodist missionaries who arrived from 1826 converted many chiefs, including the future King George Tupou I.¹

The modern country

Tonga united under King George Tupou I in 1845 and adopted a constitution in 1875. It kept its own monarchy even while Britain controlled its foreign affairs as a protectorate from 1900 to 1970.^3,4