Tuvalu is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia,with a population of 11,192 per the 2017 census. The economy of Tuvalu is constrained by its remoteness and lack of economies of scale. Government revenues largely come from fishing licences direct grants from international donors and income from the Tuvalu Trust Fund.The lease of its highly fortuitous .tv Top Level Domain (TLD) also contributes revenue.The sale of stamps since the independence of Tuvalu in 1976 has been an important source of revenue for the country and government. However, such revenue has significantly declined in recent years. Tuvalu has hardly any tourism. It has no tour guides, tour operators or organised activities and no cruise ships visit.World Bank Statistics outline that in 2010 Tuvalu produced a bottom-tier ranking Gross Domestic Product of $31,350,804 and Gross National Income of $4,760,compared to other Pacific SIDS states such as Kiribati at $2,010 and the Marshall Islands at $3,640.
Top Sectors in Tuvalu
Agriculture in Tuvalu
Agriculture in Tuvalu is based on coconut and swamp taro which is similar to taro but "with bigger leaves and larger, coarser roots"; taro is also cultivated in Tuvalu. The soils of the islands of Tuvalu are usually shallow, porous, alkaline, coarse-textured, with carbonate mineralogy and high pH values of up to 8.2 to 8.9.The soils are usually deficient in most of the important nutrients needed for plant growth so garden beds need to be enhanced with mulch and fertiliser to increase their fertility The staple food of Tuvalu is coconut, pulaka and taro. Bananas, papaya and breadfruit are supplemental crops.The dried flesh of the coconut (copra) is the main agricultural export of Tuvalu, with other agricultural products consumed locally. Because of the young geological age of the reef islands and atolls and high level of soil salination the soil is relatively poor. Wealth and status in traditional Tuvaluan culture was determined by possession of pulaka and taro pits (pela) and coconut trees.
Renewable energy in Tuvalu
Renewable energy in Tuvalu is a growing sector of the country's energy supply. Tuvalu has committed to sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable energy. This is considered possible because of the small size of the population of Tuvalu and its abundant solar energy resources due to its tropical location. It is somewhat complicated because Tuvalu consists of nine inhabited islands. The Tuvalu National Energy Policy (TNEP) was formulated in 2009, and the Energy Strategic Action Plan defines and directs current and future energy developments so that Tuvalu can achieve the ambitious target of 100% renewable energy for power generation by 2020.The program is expected to cost 20 million US dollars and is supported by the e8, a group of 10 electric companies from G8 countries.The Government of Tuvalu worked with the e8 group to develop the Tuvalu Solar Power Project, which is a 40 kW grid-connected solar system that is intended to provide about 5% of Funafuti’s peak demand, and 3% of the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation's annual household consumption.
Telecommunications in Tuvalu
Telecommunications in Tuvalu cover Tuvalu's 6 atolls and 3 reef islands. The islands of Tuvalu rely on satellite dishes for communication and internet access.The Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC), a state-owned enterprise, provides fixed line telephone communications to subscribers on each island and mobile phone services on Funafuti, Vaitupu and Nukulaelae. TTC is a distributor of Fiji Television service.
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