What was the first capital of Tonga?
According to oral traditions which have subsequently been recorded, the Tu’i Tonga Empire is said to have been formed around the year 950AD. The first Tu’i Tonga (‘Aho’eitu) located his capital (first capital) at the village of Toloa on the island of Tongatapu.
When was Tonga founded?
4 June 1970
Tonga/Founded
Who first discovered Tonga?
The first Europeans arrived in 1616, when the Dutch explorers Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire spotted Tongans in a canoe off the coast of Niuatoputapu, and the famous Abel Tasman followed soon after.
Where was the third capital of Tonga located?
The village of Mu’a, about 12 kilometres from the current capital, Nuku’alofa, is the site of the third capital of Ancient Tonga, having been relocated from the Heketa-Ha’amonga area around the 13th Century until the 19th Century. It is located in the eastern district of Tongatapu.
What are the names of the islands in Tonga?
Most of the islands are raised coral islands, some are volcanic, and a few are atolls. Coral beaches lined with palm trees and emerald lagoons with luxuriant tropical vegetation are characteristic features. The capital, Nuku’alofa, is on Tongatapu.
Where does the majority of the population of Tonga live?
Migration to New Zealand, Australia, and the United States in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in slower growth. Internal migration has been from the outer, northern, and central islands toward the southern island of Tongatapu. A third of the population (31,404) lives in the capital.
Where was the center of power in Tonga?
It is located in the eastern district of Tongatapu. Lapaha, which is situated at the north-eastern part of Mu’a, is said to have been the permanent home and centre of chiefly power of the Tu’i Tonga. It is also famous for being the geographic centre of the Tongan maritime chiefdom during the reign of Tu’i Tongas from the 13th to the 19th Centuries.