Editing Economy of Tuvalu (section)

==Geography of Tuvalu==
{{see also| Geography of Tuvalu }}
[[Agriculture in Tuvalu]] is focused on coconut trees and growing [[pulaka]] in large pits of composted soil below the water table. Subsistence farming of coconut palms to produce [[copra]] and fishing remain the primary economic activities, particularly off the capital island of [[Funafuti]]. There is no apparent large income disparity among the residents, although virtually the only jobs in the islands that pay a steady wage or salary are with the government, which make up about two-thirds of those in [[informal sector|formal employment]]. About 15% of adult males work as seamen on foreign-flagged merchant ships.<ref name ="CIA"/> Population growth on the outer islands, the limits as to available land and the lack of employment opportunities, results in a flow of people from the outer islands to the capital in [[Funafuti]] with further pressure to migrate to [[Australia]] or [[New Zealand]].<ref name="CMMUY">{{cite web|title= Tuvalu Population and Housing Census 2012: Migration, Urbanisation and Youth Monograph|publisher= Central Statistics Department (CSD) of Tuvalu/University of Auckland, New Zealand/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)|date= 2015|url= http://countryoffice.unfpa.org/pacific/?publications=12319|access-date= 20 March 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160424090931/http://countryoffice.unfpa.org/pacific/?publications=12319|archive-date= 24 April 2016|url-status= dead}}</ref> There is high youth unemployment and few new jobs being created. Given the absence of natural resources (apart from [[tuna]] in the territorial waters), and the constraints imposed on the Tuvaluan economy by its remoteness and lack of economies of scale, practical policies are needed for improvements to the livelihoods of the growing numbers of young Tuvaluans who aspire to a more affluent lifestyle than older generations.

Tuvalu comprises four [[reef]] islands and five true [[atoll]]s that result in a ''contiguous zone:'' {{convert|24|nmi|km|0|abbr=on}} ''exclusive economic zone:'' {{convert|200|nmi|km|-1|abbr=on}} ''territorial sea:'' {{convert|12|nmi|km|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name ="CIA"/> Its nearest neighbours are [[Kiribati]], [[Nauru]], [[Samoa]] and [[Fiji]]. Tuvalu has worked with Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the European Union and enacted the Seabed Minerals Act 2014. The SPC-EU Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project involves cooperation between the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga and Tuvalu with the object of those countries making informed decisions about future deep seabed mineral activities.<ref name="SPC-EU05">{{cite web|work= SPC-EU Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project|title= Tuvalu and Kiribati join countries progressing responsible management of deep seabed minerals|date= 17 February 2015|url= http://www.sopac.org/dsm/index.php/news/54-tuvalu-and-kiribati-join-countries-progressing-responsible-management-of-deep-seabed-minerals|access-date= 18 February 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150218130903/http://www.sopac.org/dsm/index.php/news/54-tuvalu-and-kiribati-join-countries-progressing-responsible-management-of-deep-seabed-minerals|archive-date= 18 February 2015|url-status= dead}}</ref>

The population is 10,507 (2017 Census),<ref name="C2012">{{cite web|title= Population of communities in Tuvalu| publisher=Thomas Brinkhoff|date =2017|url= http://www.citypopulation.de/Tuvalu.html | access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> which makes Tuvalu the third-least populous [[sovereign state]] in the world; as compared to its immediate neighbours, it has a larger population than [[Nauru]], but is smaller than [[Kiribati]] which has a permanent population of just over 100,000 (2011).<ref name="IMF 2011">{{cite web|title= Kiribati: 2011 Article IV Consultation-Staff Report, Informational Annexes, Debt Sustainability Analysis, Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion, and Statement by the Executive Director for Kiribati|url= https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.aspx?sk=24871.0|publisher= International Monetary Fund Country Report No. 11/113|date=24 May 2011|access-date=4 Oct 2011}}</ref> In terms of physical land size, at just {{convert|26|km2|sqmi}} Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world; as compared to its immediate neighbours, [[Tuvalu]] is larger than [[Nauru]], which is {{convert|21|km2|abbr=on}}, and smaller than [[Kiribati]], which comprises groups of [[atoll]]s dispersed over 3.5&nbsp;million square kilometres, <!--spelled out per WP:MOSNUM -->(1,351,000&nbsp;square&nbsp;miles) of the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Tuvalu's [[Exclusive Economic Zone]] (EEZ) covers an oceanic area of approximately 900,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="AJT">{{cite book |author1=A J Tilling  |author2=E Fihaki |title= Tuvalu National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan |url= http://www.cbd.int/doc/world/tv/tv-nr-04-en.pdf|access-date=2 February 2017  |date=17 November 2009 |publisher= Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity |page=7 }}</ref>

Tuvalu is considered a safe country of unspoiled natural beauty and friendly people. However, due to its remoteness, the cost of travelling to the island and limited air traffic to the country,  limited numbers of tourists visit each year. The majority of visitors to Tuvalu are government officials, aid workers, [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]] officials or consultants.<ref name="World Guide">{{cite book |title=SBS World Guide, Sixteenth Edition |year=2008 |publisher=Hardie Grant |location=Australia |isbn=978-1-74066-648-0 |pages=747 }}</ref>