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Tongans

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Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology

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Alternative Names

Tongans originate from the Kingdom of Tonga, formerly known as “The Friendly Islands.” Due to out-migration, there are more Tongans living overseas than within the country, primarily settling in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Outside of Tonga, Tongans are included under the more general category of Polynesian or Pacific Islander.

Location and Linguistic Affiliation

The Kingdom of Tonga is made up of 170 small islands, approximately 40 of which are inhabited. These are spread over 700,000 sq km of the South Pacific about two third the way from Hawai’i to New Zealand. They are characterized as high islands formed by geologically recent volcanic activity, and low coral limestone atolls. The climate is sub-tropical with temperate weather and high humidity. Rainfall is moderate and regular so that most crops are planted and harvested throughout the year. Cyclones and hurricanes occur every few years, and can result in extensive damage to buildings and...

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Authors
  1. Barbara Burns McGrath
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Human Relations Area Files, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Carol R. Ember  & Melvin Ember  & 

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© 2004 Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers

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McGrath, B.B. (2004). Tongans. In: Ember, C.R., Ember, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-29905-X_100

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-29905-X_100

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-306-47754-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-29905-1

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