The Note on the Population and the Economy in Tuvalu : In the Case of Fongafale (Funafuti) Island

人口

経済活動

経済援助

温暖化

small island nation

population

economic activity

economic assistance

global warming

(1) Tuvalu, the main subject of this article, is an island nation situated between 500 and 1, 000kilometers south of the equator and between 1, 100 and 1, 600 kilometers north of Fiji. Small islands are scattered between 5 degrees and 10 degrees 30 minutes South Latitude and 176 degrees and 180 degrees East Longitude in the water hemisphere. Tuvalu was formerly known as the Ellice Islands. (2) Tuvalu is an independent constitutional monarchy within the British Commonwealth, with the Queen of England as the head of state. Tuvalu is a micro・state with a population of approximately 10, 000 people. (3) Funafuti Island, the capital of Tuvalu, is one of the nine coral atolls, which are beautiful as emeralds scattered in the water hemisphere. The island is located 8 degrees 25 minutes South Latitude and 179 degrees 15 minutes East Longitude. 4727755141400f the nation's overall population lives on this small island with only 2.79 square kilometers of land. The density of population is 1, 610 people per square kilometer. (4) I visited Funafuti Island via the above-mentioned route. Tuvalu is facing "extreme environmental problems", including the effects of global warming. In order to study "the economic development and environmental problems of island nations in the South Pacific", I needed to see the actual condition of Tuvalu as the starting point of my study. (5) As you probably know, the staple foods for the Polynesians are taro, cassava, and yam. This is the same as for the people of Tuvalu. They eat a kind of taro, which the local people call "pulaka". However,due to the rise in sea level and saltwater intrusion, they became unable to make their own supply, and became dependent on imports even for their staple foods.Recently, more people have been eating rice and flour as their staple foods. (6) Dietary culture is one of the most important cultures for any ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has its own traditional dietary culture that suits the climate of their land. The effect of global warming, however, is forcing the people of Tuvalu to change their traditional diet. (7) The total area of Tuvalu's all nine islands is only 25.9 square kilometers. Tuvalu is a typical example of island nations in the South Pacific, which are under threat from global warming and economic globalization. Therefore, it is essential to know the actual condition of Tuvalu as the starting point of my study on small island nations.