Tuvalu and .tvTuvalu, Prague TV, and global warming
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It all began with TV. Or rather ".tv" Contrary to popular beliefs, Prague TV was born not in the wilds of Bohemia but on the shores of the world's smallest nation, Tuvalu. (Smallest except for Vatican City, but any country with 'city' in their name should surely be left off the list.) Tuvalu will always be the land of our beginning (it all starts with a name, right?) even if she does sink. The Tuvalu Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. With the exception of tiny Vatican City, it is the independent nation with the fewest inhabitants. Due to their low elevation (5 meters, or 14 feet maximum), the islands that make up this nation are threatened by any future sea level rise. The population may evacuate during the next decades to New Zealand, or Niue, a small Pacific island (independent but associated with New Zealand) that isn't threatened by sea level rise, but does have decreasing population. The Pacific Islands nation of Tuvalu, population 10,600, for years had survived by selling stamps, fishing licenses and collecting foreign aid. Now, thanks to an alphabetic quirk, the country makes $50 million a year in royalties from the ability to sell Internet names and electronic mail addresses ending in Tuvalu's country code, ".tv." American company .TV Corporation, called DotTV, agreed to pay Tuvalu about three times the country's gross domestic product over the next decade so it can sell electronic mail and Web addresses ending in ".tv" instead of the ubiquitous ".com." Tuvalu, pronounced "too-VAH-loo", is an independent constitutional monarchy in the southwest Pacific Ocean between latitudes 5 degrees and 11 degrees south and longitudes 176 degrees and 180 degrees east. Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, they separated from the Gilbert Islands after a referendum in 1975, and achieved independence from Great Britain on October 1, 1978. The population of 10,200 live on Tuvalu's nine atolls, which have a total land area of 10 square miles, or 27 square kilometres. Full country name: Tuvalu Area: 26 sq km (10 sq mi) of dry land Population: 10,000 Capital city: Funafuti People: Polynesian (96%), Micronesian (4%) Languages: Tuvaluan, Samoan, English Religion: Christian (98%), Baha'i (1%) Government: Constitutional monarchy Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, represented by Governor General (Sir) Tomasi Puapua Prime Minister: Faimalaga Luka GDP: US$3 million GDP per head: US$330 Annual growth:5% Inflation: 3.8% Major industries: textiles, soap, philately, phone sex, copra Major trading partners: Fiji, Australia, New Zealand  Further Reading: Farewell Tuvalu by Andrew Simms The authorities in Tuvalu have publicly conceded defeat to the sea rising around them. Appeals have gone out to the governments of New Zealand and Australia to help in the full-scale evacuation of Tuvalu's population. After an apparent rebuff from Australia, the first group of evacuees is due to leave for New Zealand next year. Global Warming Threatens Tuvalu Tuvala with population of 12,000 fear global warming issue will be ignored by Earth Summit. |
Article added on Mon 23rd Dec, 2002 [last updated Tue 13th Sep, 2005]Share this page 
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