Tuvalu 🇹🇻

Tuvalu is an independent state in Polynesia, and a member of the United Nations. The short and official forms of the name are the same. The capital is Funafuti.

Its territory runs to 26 km², which ranks it 243rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Macau and just ahead of Nauru. For scale, it is around a quarter larger than Nauru.

Some 9,646 people call it home, placing it 231st of 250 by population — between Saint Barthélemy above it and Saint Pierre and Miquelon below. Within Polynesia alone it is the 9th largest of 10 and the 7th most populous.

Where Tuvalu is and what surrounds it

Plotted on a globe it falls at 8.0° south, 178.0° east, which puts it in the southern hemisphere, roughly 891 km from the equator, in what geographers would call the equatorial belt.

Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Brazil, Peru and Tanzania — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.

There is no land frontier at all — every boundary it has is a coastline. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, a group made up mostly of islands and island groups.

People, population and language

Population divided by land area gives roughly 371 people per square kilometre, which makes it densely populated. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.

2 languages carry official status: English and Tuvaluan. Tuvaluan is listed for no other entry in this dataset, which makes it effectively unique to Tuvalu. English, the first listed, is shared with 90 other entries worldwide.

Someone from Tuvalu is a Tuvaluan.

Inside Oceania it places 21st of 27 by population, and it accounts for 1.4% of everyone living in Polynesia.

Currency and codes

More than one currency circulates: Australian dollar (AUD) and Tuvaluan dollar (TVD). That is a shared currency: 6 other entries use it, including Australia, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Kiribati and Nauru.

If a quiz asks for the capital of Tuvalu, the answer is Funafuti.

Websites there use the .tv domain. Calls from overseas start with +688. Standard country codes: tv and TUV.

Tuvalu is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.

Fun facts about Tuvalu

• Its currency, the Australian dollar, is shared with 6 other entries.
• Websites based there use the .tv domain.
• Ranked by land area, Tuvalu is 243rd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
• It is 231st of 250 by population, with about 9,646 residents.
• English is official here and in 90 other entries worldwide.
• Brazil and Peru sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.

Tuvalu — frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Tuvalu?

The capital of Tuvalu is Funafuti.

What is the population of Tuvalu?

Tuvalu has a population of about 9,646, which makes it the 231st most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Saint Barthélemy sits just above it and Saint Pierre and Miquelon just below.

Does Tuvalu border any other country?

No. Tuvalu has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.

Is Tuvalu a country?

Yes. Tuvalu is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.

What currency does Tuvalu use?

Tuvalu uses the Australian dollar, written $ (currency code AUD). It is shared with 6 other entries.

What language is spoken in Tuvalu?

Tuvalu lists 2 official languages: English and Tuvaluan. Tuvaluan does not appear as an official language anywhere else in this dataset.

How big is Tuvalu?

Tuvalu covers 26 km², ranking 243rd of 250 by land area. That makes it around a quarter larger than Nauru.

Where is Tuvalu located?

Tuvalu is in Polynesia, part of Oceania. Its reference coordinates are 8.0° south and 178.0° east, roughly 891 km from the equator in equatorial latitudes.