WHERE IS TUVALU?

Am up at 5, which is unusually early for me.  Sometimes the deck of life deals out lousy cards, and we just have to do the best we can.  The nice part of restless nights is not having to go to work the next day.  Now, it matters not when I get rest.  But, I am one who believes that good sleep is as necessary as fresh air.

Am thinking that it's time for me to take on another project.  It's that business of keeping the brain so busy that it doesn't have time to worry and fret.  There are unknown (to me) places in the world that I'd like to research, and so my readers will simply have to fasten their seat belts and go along for the ride with me.  I have not personally traveled to far away places, other than the virtual global travel I do on the internet.  

What is the least-visited country?  According to the United Nations Tourism Organization, the remote Pacific island country Tuvalu (formerly known as Ellice Islands) is the least-visited country globally.  

This map gives us an idea where Tuvalu is located midway between Hawaii and Australia in the Pacific Ocean.  It consists of nine small coral islands scattered in a chain over some 420 miles.  Eight of the nine islands of Tuvalu were inhabited.  This explains its name Tuvalu, which means eight standing together in Tuvuluan.  Tuvalu is on the list of islands most likely to disappear into the ocean in the near future due to rising sea levels.  Per reports, two of the nine islands are already on the verge of getting swallowed up by sea-rise.

9 Islands of Tuvalu

Tuvalu is a peaceful and free place...a constitutional parliamentary democracy with no formal political parties.  Approximately 11,000 people live in Tuvalu.  It's the 4th smallest country in the world.  Its economy relies heavily on fishing income, with 42% of its population in various levels of the fishing industry.  Primarily Skipjack Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna and Bigeye Tuna.  The government makes money by exporting dried coconut meat and selling fishing licenses to offshore trawlers.  

The weather in Tuvalu is warm all year around.  The temperature there today is 86 degrees F.  The islands are in the Tropical rain forest climate zone.  Rising sea, king tides and frequent and intense cyclones make it difficult to grow crops.  Rainfall and rainwater harvesting is the primary source of water supply.  

During World War II, several thousand U.S. troops were stationed in Tuvalu.  Beginning in 1942, U.S. forces built airbases on the islands of Funafuti, Nanumea and Nukufetau.

Atoll of Funafuti, Tuvalu with Pacific Ocean to the right,
lagoon to the left.

As one can imagine, rubbish is not easily disposed of here.  All imported non-biodegradable items end up as litter, adding to the massive piles of rubbish at both ends of the island.  There are limited recycling opportunities.

Rubbish Piles

When one thinks of a tropical island, our minds are quick to picture the aquamarine waters, Palm trees waving with the sea breezes, bronzed colored skin and beautiful orchids.  The reality is that everything has an opposite.  Maybe we choose not to see the litter, the refuse, the garbage that is being added to our oceans every single minute.  Nor do we think about water levels rising, leaving countries drowning. 

............Now it's time to keep moving forward with my day.  The boyfriend is up, and we'll be taking a trolley northward to be with the G-clan.  Will take my crocheting along and work on comfort crosses along the way.  I've gotten the nod that the rest home needs more crosses.