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Updates: 

Sorin Cosoveanu informed me of the availability of preliminary 2006 census data at the Tonga department of statistics  website.

ISO 3166-2 Newsletter I-8, published on 2007-04-17, has new ISO division codes for Tonga. They are shown in the table below. International standard ISO 3166-2, as originally published (1998-12-15), mentioned that there were five divisions, but declined to list them. It said they were "not relevant". An even earlier version, ISO/DIS 3166-2 (draft international standard), showed three island groups with their codes.

The table below is based on one that has appeared in the Statesman's Year-Book since ~1990. The only difference between the island councils and the divisions is that the island council of Tongatapu corresponds to the divisions of 'Eua, Niuas, and Tongatapu.

Country overview: 

Short name	TONGA
ISO code	TO
FIPS code	TN
Language	Tonga (to), English (en)
Time zone	+13
Capital	Nuku'alofa

 

Tonga became a protectorate of Great Britain on 1900-05-18, formalizing a previous agreement. Great Britain abandoned the relationship on 1970-06-04, leaving Tonga completely independent.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: Tonga
2. Dutch: Tonga, Koninkrijk Tonga (formal)
3. English: Kingdom of Tonga (formal), Friendly Islands (obsolete), Toga (obsolete)
4. Finnish: Tonga
5. French: Tonga fp
6. German: Tonga n
7. Italian: Tonga
8. Norwegian: Tonga, Kongeriket Tonga (formal)
9. Portuguese: Tonga n (m in Brazil), Reino m do Tonga (formal)
10. Spanish: Tonga, Reino m de Tonga (formal)
11. Swedish: Tonga
12. Tonga: Pule 'anga Tonga (formal)

Origin of name: 

shortened form of Tongatabu, from tonga: island, tabu: sacred

Primary subdivisions: 

Tonga is divided into five divisions.

Division	HASC	ISO	Population	Area(km.²)	Area(mi.²)	Capital
'Eua	TO.EU	01	5,165	87	34	Ohonua, 'Eua I.
Ha'apai	TO.HA	02	7,572	110	42	Pangai, Lifuka I.
Niuas	TO.NI	03	1,652	72	28	Hihifo, Niuatoputapu I.
Tongatapu	TO.TT	04	71,260	261	101	Nuku`alofa, Tongatapu I.
Vava'u	TO.VA	05	15,485	119	46	Neiafu, Vava`u I.
5 divisions			101,134	649	251
HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. ISO: Codes from ISO 3166-2. Population: 2006 census (preliminary).

Further subdivisions:

The divisions are subdivided into 23 districts. Some sources list three island groups instead of five divisions.

Island group	HASC	ISO	FIPS
Ha'apai	TO.HA	H	TN01
Tongatapu	TO.TO	T	TN02
Vava'u	TO.VA	V	TN03
HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. ISO: Codes from ISO/DIS 3166-2. FIPS: Codes from FIPS PUB 10-4.

Territorial extent: 

1. Ha'apai includes the islands of the Ha'apai group, from Hunga Ha'apai to Kelefesia to Ha'ano to Kao. The largest are Lifuka and Tofua.
2. 'Eua includes 'Eua Island.
3. Niuas includes Niuatoputapu, Niuafo'ou, and Tafahi.
4. Tongatapu includes the Tongatapu Group, consisting of Tongatapu, 'Euaiki, and smaller islands, and 'Ata Island to the south.
5. Vava'u includes the islands of the Vava'u group, from Vava'u to Late to Fonualei.

Population history:

Division	1986-11-28	1996-11-30	2006
'Eua	4,393	4,924	5,165
Ha'apai	8,919	8,148	7,572
Niuas	2,368	2,018	1,652
Tongatapu	63,794	66,577	71,260
Vava'u	15,175	15,779	15,485
Total	94,649	97,446	101,134