Hi my name is George Fale Turner. I am half Tongan.

Today I am going to share some interesting facts about Tonga, so sit back and relax, learn a few things and enjoy some great humour.

MY CULTURE

Who were the first People to ever settle in Tonga?

The first people to settle in Tonga were Polynesians, and Tonga is one of the earliest Polynesian settlements. Tonga has never been occupied by a European nation, and has always been a monarchy with a king and/or queen.

What is so special about Tonga.

Well… Tonga is a very special island because it is one of the islands that Captain Cook visited. Captain Cook visited Tonga in 1773, 1774 and 1777.

Also Tonga is special because in May, June , July and August … humpback whales decide to visit Tonga. Humpbacks are massive marine mammals. Their sheer size is daunting indeed, yet they are capable of thrusting their entire bodies out of the ocean as they complete a breach.

How many Islands are there?

Well Tonga has about 170 islands spread over a 70,000 square km of ocean, and is divided into four main parts. The main part is Tongatapu in the south, with the capital Nuku'alofa.

Who was the most popular Person in Tonga.

Tonga is a monarchy in which the king rules absolutely. The current king is Taufa'ahau Tupou VI. The first king was king Tupou the first. This is king Tupou IV in his car. He lived until his eighties and that’s way older than dad is.

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Something More About The kings of Tonga

A very long time ago king Tupou the first ruled over Tonga. Today Tonga remains a monarchy, with King Taufa'ahau Tupou VI who has just been made king this year in 2012. King Tupou IV was the first Tongan to receive a college degree, having studied at the University of Sydney.

Queen Salote.

This is Queen Salote in her traditional clothes. Facts: She was a very tall Queen. She was the daughter of King George Tupou II and his first wife, Queen Lavinia Veiongo Fotu. Her name Sālote is a Tongan version of the name Charlotte.

How to Make a Tongan Tapa.

Tapa cloth (or simply tapa) is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga and Samoa, but as far afield as Java, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. In French Polynesia it has nearly disappeared, except for some villages in the Marquesas.

First of all I have to grow a tiny tree namely Hiapo for the number I would like to have. I will look after that for not less than 2 years. When its skin goes white then I will harvest them. Then I would leave them in the shade for almost two weeks. Then I would take the skin off from a hard stick in its middle. Then with the skin I will take the outer skin and it will leave me with a white stuff called the la'i tutu. I will keep all of those tutu in rolls of twenty pieces. Then when I am ready to beat those pieces. I will first put one roll in a bucket of cold water to make it soft to be beaten. I will then get a big log namely "tutua" and then beat it up with a small stick called "ike".

What Do They Mainly eat!

Tonga eats lot’s of healthy stuff like, kumara, yams and taro. They also eat stuff like poaka.*

*poaka means pig.

People.

Tonga has VERY friendly people especially when visitors arrive.

Tonga is known as the “Friendly Islands.”

How does Tonga celebrate Christmas?

WHEN DO THEY OPEN THEIR PRESENTS?

In Tonga they open their presents at the same time we do in NZ but… after they open their presents they go straight to

church and it’s all day.

Dangers of Tonga.

In Tonga mostly all the dangers are in the water. Tonga has very strong blow holes, and in fact if you are in a kayak don’t go past a coral reef and I mean it do not because if you do you might get stuck in a blow hole.

The End

By the way if you are planning to go to Tonga, go onto www.pacific-travel guides.com.