Nuku'alofa

Nuku'alofa
Climate diagram
	Temperature in ° C , precipitation in mm
	Source: wetterkontor.de

Nuku'alofa
Coordinates	21 ° 8 ′ S , 175 ° 12 ′ W Coordinates: 21 ° 8 ′ S , 175 ° 12 ′ W
Basic data
Country	Tonga
division	Tongatapu
ISO 3166-2	TO-04
Districts	Kolofoʻou , Kolomotuʻa
height	3 m
Residents	35,200 (2016)
	Tongatapu Island, with Nukuʻalofa on the north coast

Nukuʻalofa city center

Royal palace

The parliament building was destroyed by cyclone Gita in February 2018.

Nukuʻalofa is the capital and seat of government of the oceanic kingdom of Tonga . The city is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu , just a few centimeters above sea level.

geography

The actual historical center of Nukuʻalofa is Kolomotuʻa ("old town", "old village"). It is located west of Hala Vahaʻa kolo ("village border road"). Kolofoʻou ("New Town", "New Village") is the second of the three villages that make up today's capital; it is east of the street mentioned. The third village is Ma'ufanga , even further east.

history

The origins of the city go back to a fortress . This was first destroyed in 1807 by Finau , chief Ha'apais , and then rebuilt, before it was destroyed again in the following year by Tarki , another chief. When Tonga was reunified in 1845, King George Tupou I declared Nukuʻalofa the capital of Tonga. The name of the city means "the home of love".

After politically motivated riots, which then turned into looting, a large part of the business district of Nuku'alofa burned down on November 16, 2006. The state of emergency that was subsequently imposed was maintained with interruptions until December 2009.

Climate table

Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Nukuʻalofa

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C )	29	29	29	28	26th	25th	25th	24	25th	26th	27	28	O	26.7
Min. Temperature (° C)	22nd	23	23	22nd	20th	19th	18th	18th	18th	19th	21st	21st	O	20.3

Precipitation ( mm )	201	220	227	150	113	92	106	113	113	113	109	130	Σ	1,687

Rainy days ( d )	14th	14th	16	11	9	7th	9	8th	9	9	9	10	Σ	125

Water temperature (° C)	27	27	27	27	26th	24	24	23	23	24	24	25th	O	25.1

Humidity ( % )	83	84	84	83	80	80	78	79	78	79	79	80	O	80.6

Source: wetterkontor.de

Economy and tourism

Nukuʻalofa is Tonga's economic center and transportation hub. The main export goods are copra , bananas , vanilla and mostly traditional artisanal products. Tourism is also of great importance. The city has Tonga's largest industrial port and is approximately 25 kilometers from Fuaʻamotu International Airport .

With the ʻAtenisi Institute, Nukuʻalofa owns the only independent university-like educational institution in Tonga. There is also a teacher training college and a hotel management school in the city. Queen Salote College is the oldest girls' school in Tonga.

The main attraction is the Royal Palace made of Norfolk fir . Other attractions include Tonga's only one-way street (Railway Road), the Vuna shipyard, the royal tombs and numerous churches, including the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua and the Centennial Church, which the royal family visits on Sundays.

The city offers the only significant nightlife in Tonga and had the only cinema in the country. There is also a rugby stadium in the city.

population

In 2006 it had 23,658 inhabitants, and in 2010 around 24,000 inhabitants, a good third of the inhabitants of the main island of Tongatapu and almost a quarter of the total population of Tonga. The agglomeration of Nuku'alofa had 34,311 inhabitants in 2006 and around 35,200 in 2016, i.e. almost half of the inhabitants of Tongatapu, or a third of the population of the state of Tonga. The last census in Tonga in 2011 no longer shows individual figures for the capital.