Formerly known as the "Friendly Islands," the Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago of 171 islands organized into three island groups (Ha'apai, Tongatapu, and Vava'u); its capital is Nuku'alofa. Tonga's total land area is 718 square kilometers (277 square miles); as of July 2003 its population was estimated at 108,141. The climate is tropical. The majority of Tonga's islands were formed through the geologic uplift of coral reefs, although some lie atop volcanic bases.

The earliest verified date of a human presence in Tonga is about 1100 B.C.E., but many believe that Polynesians have lived there for some 5,000 years. Before European contact Tongan chiefs had extended their rule to include parts of Fiji and the Cook Islands, the Samoas, Tokelau, and Niue, among other islands. Originally a group of separate island domains, the Kingdom of Tonga was united in 1845 by Taufa'ahau (1797–1893), who, having converted to Christianity, ruled under the name King George...