800px-Tuvalu_Funafuti_atoll_beach

Teddy Nee,

Correspondent (Travel)

 

Tuvalu, one of several Commonwealth countries, is located in central Pacific and is the fourth smallest country in the world, after Vatican City, Monaco and Nauru. Prior to its separation from Gilbert Islands in 1975, it was called the Ellice Islands. In 1975, Tuvalu gained independence from Great Britain. About 6,194 from 10,837 of population resided in the capital city, Funafuti.

In 1999, the International Organisation for Standardisation awarded Tuvalu a “.tv” domain name, which attracted at least five internet companies to visit Funafuti to tender the right to use its “.tv” for media and television organizations. Tuvalu earned royalty revenue of more than $2 million from its “.tv” domain name in 2006.

Language
Tuvaluan language (Gana Tuvalu) and English are the official languages in Tuvalu. English, Samoan, and English language have had a significant contact throughout the history. Gilbertese language, in particular, was important when Tuvaluan administration was located in the Gilbert Islands.

Here are several Tuvaluan phrases

  • Tālofa – Hello
  • Ulufale mai – Welcome
  • E ā koe? – How are you?
  • Au e ‘lei, fakafetai, kae e ā koe? – Fine thanks, and you?
  • Ko oi tou igoa? – What is your name?
  • Toku igoa ko … – My name is
  • Au kō fiafia aka loa i a tāua kō fetaui – Pleased to meet you
  • Tōfā – Goodbye

Things to do
Tuvalu is a dream spot for yachting, snorkeling, and diving enthusiasts. There are nine atolls to explore and a vast oceanic life. Reef, lagoon, island, and ocean habitats form part of a conservation area. You may charter a yacht, as it is one of the best ways to explore the nine islands of Tuvalu. If you like fishing, you may also take a sport fishing and boating excursion.

Renting a motorbike to explore the island is also a good idea. Plenty of American troops were stationed and air force bases were strategically located in Tuvalu during the World War II. You still can find the old runway in the northeastern side of Nanumea and the remains of World War II planes are still visible. A well-preserved underground bunker still exists in the islet of Tepuka. The drilling site to prove Darwin’s theory of the formation of atolls still can be found in Funafuti.

Image Courtesy: By Stefan Lins (Flickr.com) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Teddy Nee

Teddy Nee

Blogger at Nee's Language Blog
Teddy Nee holds a Bachelor degree in Applied Computing of a university in Taiwan. He is also a language enthusiast, a website developer, and an IMBA student. He is currently running his language blog at www.neeslanguageblog.com
Teddy Nee

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