Nukuʿalofa

Tonga: Royal Palace

Nukuʿalofa, capital and chief port of Tonga, on the northern shore of Tongatapu Island, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Its deep-draft harbour is protected by reefs. Landmarks include the Royal Palace (1865–67, home of the Tongan royal family), on the seafront at the end of the old wharf, and the Royal Tombs. The town has several secondary schools (called colleges), a teachers’ training school, Vaiola Hospital, government offices, and a large Wesleyan church. Modern buildings include the broadcasting studio, a convention centre, and a development outside the town comprising housing, joinery works, and Copra Board enterprises. Commercial activities centre on the export of copra, bananas, squash, and vanilla and the sale of traditional handicrafts. Tuna and snapper fishing fleets operate out of the harbour, and the city is Tonga’s main market for fishery products. A government-run industrial estate, the Small Industries Centre, leases factory facilities to various industries. Fuaʿamotu International Airport is some 15 miles (24 km) by road to the southeast.

In the early 21st century a pro-democracy movement in Tonga gathered strength. In response, the government established a national committee for political reform that made its report in 2006. After the legislature reviewed the report but failed to act on its recommendations, riots broke out in Nukuʿalofa, resulting in the destruction of some four-fifths of the central business district. A multiyear reconstruction project, completed in 2012, restored buildings and roads and built a new wharf for the port. Pop. (2006) city, 23,658; urban agglom., 34,311.