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	Tonga System of Government Information
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Pacific Governments - Tonga

GOVERNMENT OF TONGA

Country name:

• Kingdom of Tonga
• Former name: Friendly Islands

• Nuku'alofa

• Hereditary constitutional monarchy

• 4 June 1970 (emancipation from UK protectorate)
• The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900.

Constitution:

• The Constitution of Tonga - 4 November 1875 as revised and amended.

Legal system:

• Acts of the Tongan Legislative Assembly; English statutes of general application; common law.

(See Sources of Law for a full overview)

Suffrage:

• 21 years of age; universal

Official Languages:

• Tongan, English

(i) Executive Branch:

Head of State: Tongan monarch - hereditary.

Head of Government: Prime Minister - Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister appointed for life by the monarch.

Cabinet: appointed by the monarch

Privy Council: consists of the monarch and the Cabinet

(ii) Legislative Branch:

Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea: 30 seats - 12 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms.

(iii) Judicial Branch:

Privy Council (Tonga); Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; Magistrates Court; Land Court

(See Court System for a full overview)

Regional Government:

• three island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u