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Located years. in 1616 dutch navigators, wilhelm

Located in theSouthwestern Pacific Ocean is the profound sovereign country of Tonga. Alsoknown as the Friendly Islands and known officially as the Kingdom of Tonga, thisarchipelago consists of more than 170 islands that are divided into threegroups.

The south islands are called Tongatapu while the center islands arecalled Ha? apai and the north islands are known as Vava? u.  Like many other places, Tonga has its historyand culture, political and social issues, and their own literature that wasproduced based on their people’s past and values. The people ofTonga are led by four values.

According to the website The Kingdom of Tonga Today, the four values are:” Fefaka’apa’apa’aki (mutual respect), Feveitokai’aki (sharing, cooperating andfulfilment of mutual obligations), Lototoo (humility and generosity), and Tauhivaha’a (loyalty and commitment).” These values have been practiced by theirpeople for many years just like many other things that they continue toperpetuate. The Kingdom of Tonga also statesthat, “ Today, many Tongans still live in villages, especially in the outerislands, and traditional village life has not changed greatly from earlierdays.

” Not only do they preserve the same living style, Tongans continue to dotraditional practices. As stated on the Eua Island Tonga website, “ Luckily, theTongan culture is still very much in tacked and you will see people wearingwoven mats, making Tapa cloth cooking in the ground and roasting pigs on thespilt.” The Tongan people keep their culturealive in many different ways, allowing them to be one of the very fewmonarchies remaining in the Pacific. Becoming a sovereign kingdom wasn’t as easyas it may seem and took many years.            In1616 Dutch navigators, Wilhelm Schouten and Jacob LeMaire discovered thenorthern most islands of Tonga, the Niuas. The Dutch continued to explore theTongan archipelago in 1643.

In 1773 and1777, Captain James Cook visited the southern islands and began charting theTongan archipelago. He was pleased with the hospitality of their people andcalled them the Friendly Isles. Little did he know, the Tongan people wereplanning on raiding his boats, killing him, and killing his crew.

According to” The Kingdom of Tonga Today,” “ The northern island group Vava’u was discoveredin 1781 by Spanish navigator, Don Francisco Antonio Mourelle, commander of theship La Princesa” (Kingdom of Tonga). After claiming the islands in the name ofSpain, tension continues to grow between Europeans and Tongans. EventuallyMourelles crew was killed except for a young boy, William Mariner. This youngboy learned the Tongan language and lived a Tongan life, and later wrote abook. According to “ The Kingdom of Tonga Today,” “ Mariners book ‘ An Account ofthe Natives of the Tongan Islands’ is now recognized as a significant insightinto early Tongan life, customs and culture” (Kingdom of Tonga). With thearrival of European explorers also came a quick pace of changes and theteachings of Christianity, which is still part of the Kingdom today.             Tongais a sovereign country currently ruled by King Tupou VI.

According to theartice “ Tonga” written by Latukefu, Sione, and Sophie Foster,” Between 1799 and 1852 Tonga went through a period of war and disorder. This was finally ended by Taufa’ahau, who was converted to Christianity in 1831by the Methodist missionaries” (Britannica). In 1845, he took the title KingGeorge Tupou I. According to Latukefu, Sione, and SophieFoster, “ During the king’s long reign (1845–93), Tongabecame a unified and independent country with a modern constitution (1875), legal code, and administrative structure. With Taufa? ahau as its most importantconvert, Christianity spread rapidly” (Britannica).

Tonga was recognizedfor its independence by Germany in 1876, Great Britain in 1879, and the UnitedStates in 1888. As stated by Latukefu, Sione, and SophieFoster, “ GeorgeI was succeeded by his great-grandson GeorgeII, who died in 1918. During his reign the kingdom became a British protectorate (1900) todiscourage German advances” (Britannica).            AlthoughTonga has a thriving kingdom, they face political and social issues like manyother places.

According to Latukefu, Sione, and Sophie Foster:” In 1970 Tongaregained full control of domestic and foreign affairs and became a fullyindependent nation with the Commonwealth. A pro-democracy movement took shapein the late 20th century, and, from the 1990s, reform advocates wonsignificant representation in the legislature. The government, however, resisted change. Pro-democracy leaders, including ‘ Akilisi Pohiva, a member ofthe legislature, were occasionally arrested and imprisoned” (Britannica).

From 1983 to 1991, the governmentsold about 6, 600 passports to foreign nationals resulting in a $30 millionprofit. By 2001, the money had lost all of its value due risky investmentsincluding a lawsuit against Bogdanoff in U. S. courts. (MORE INFORMATION TO BE ADDED)            Happeningnow is the review of Tonga’s human rights record. According to Tonga’s LeadingNews Website, “ Tonga, which hasdropped over ten places in the World Press Freedom Index over the last year, has not met UN reporting obligations for some core human rights treaties, orcooperated with international human rights mechanisms, according to the JointSubmission of the UN Country Team for Tonga for the UN compilation” (MatangiTonga).

This article also states, “ Surprisingly, the submission asserts that: ‘ Various studies have revealed that nearlyone-third (30%) of women under 25 years currently suffer from an STI sexually transmittedinfection’” (Matangi Tonga). This shows readers that women’s rights and healthis under watch by their government. The Tongan people are not only concernedfor their women, but all of  theirpeople. Accordingto “ Matangi Tonga Online,” “ Otherhuman rights issues to be considered are corporal punishment in prisons; juvenile defence in the courts; creating an environment for civil societyinputs into development of public policy; access to healthcare, includingsexual and reproductive health; maternal morbidity; sexual violence; the rightsof persons with disabilities; and to encourage more open, respectful andinclusive communities for LGBTI persons”(Matangi Tonga).

Tonga has their political andsocial issues but they are being confronted for the betterment of their people. Another part of their culture includes their literature and authors.             Likemany other cultures, Tonga has pieces of literature that bring forward theirculture, traditions, and royal lineage. One of Tonga’s authors is ElizabethWood- Ellem. She knew the royal family’s lineage and wrote and edited booksspeaking of the islands. As stated by The Sydney Morning Herald, “ In1974 she began research on Tongan history, concentrating on the life and timesof the revered Queen Salote.” After all of the research and studying,

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