Tonga

Facts and pictures

There are some excellent places to look for facts and information about the history, people and culture of Tonga.

BBC

This is a well-known news website and a great place to find reliable and up-to-date information.

• Use the search box and enter the name of the island you are interested in.
• Select the result that says Profile, like Tonga country profile.

digitalpasifik.org

This site is part of the Pacific Virtual Museum pilot project funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia and put together by the National Library of New Zealand and National Library of Australia.

• Look down the page to Explore locations.
• Choose Tonga.
• You can use Filter by and Media Type to only look at images, objects, videos, or audio.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are.

Daily life

These websites have more detailed information about Tonga.

Britannica School

This is one of the EPIC resources, a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. Britannica allows you to choose a reading level - for more information we suggest using the Secondary option.

• Choose the Middle level and put in your keyword 'Tonga'.
• This will bring up the Tonga entry which covers the geography, plants and animals, people and culture, economy, and history of Tonga.
• Try the Images & Videos and Related tabs to find more information.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Encyclopedia of Earth

This resource focuses on the natural environment with a good contents list at the beginning of each article as well as sources where the information came from.

• Enter the name of your chosen country or island.
• As well as some background information, there are several maps of Tonga, including local maps, world maps and satellite views.

New Zealand connection

New Zealand has a strong connection with Tonga.

Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Te Ara is an excellent starting point for all questions about New Zealand Aotearoa.

• Use the search word 'Tonga'.
• Results will include Tongans, which is all about Tongan people living in New Zealand.

Tips: If we scroll down to the bottom of the page we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Manatū Aorere

This site will help with understanding about New Zealand's relationship with the Pacific Islands.

• Select Tonga.
• Read the quick facts and other information.

Books

These books will give you more information about Tonga, its people, and the Tongan language.

• Tonga by Melanie Guile
• Tonga by Lesieli I. Kupu MacIntyre
• Tonga by Carol Jones
• Tongan for Kids by Jari Jah Jah
• My Tongan alphabet : with numbers and colours by Bradley Walker.

SCIS no: 1850793