PEOPLE
96% of Tuvaluans are ethnic Polynesians, closely related to the people of Samoa and Tonga. The vast majority belong to the Church of Tuvalu, a Protestant denomination. Conversion began in the 1860s with the arrival of a Congregationalist missionary from the Cook Islands.
Nationality: Noun--Tuvaluan (s); adjective--Tuvaluan.
Population (2006 est.): 9,652. Age structure (2006 est.)--34.2% under 15; 3.6% over 65.
Growth rate (2007 est.): 2.5%.
Ethnic groups: Polynesians 96%, Micronesians 4%.
Religion: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%; Seventh-day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'I 1%, other 0.6%.
Languages: Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) also spoken.
Education (2004): Literacy--95%.
Health (2004): Life expectancy--total 61.5 yrs.; male 61 yrs; female 62. Infant mortality rate (2004)--36/1,000.
Work force (2004 est.): total 6,000; formal sector 2,400.
