Tuvalu

ITuvalu,eyayifudula ibizwa ngokubaziZiqithi zeEllice,sisiqithi sasePolynesia esineziqithi ezininzi ezikuLwandlekazi lwePasifiki phakathi kweziqithizaseHawaiinaseOstreliya.Awona machwebakazi akufutshane yiKiribati,iSamoaneFiji. Ibandakanya iziqithi ezine zekorale kunye neeatoll ezintlanu ezinomphezulu we-26 nje km² kwaye lilizwe lesibini ubuncinane elinabemi ehlabathini, emva kweSixeko saseVatican. Ikwalilungu lesibini elincinaneleZizwe eziManyeneyo.Ngokumalunga nobukhulu bomhlaba, iTuvalu lilizwe lesine ngobukhulu emhlabeni, inkulu kuphela kunesiXeko saseVatican (0.44). km² ), eMunich (1.95 km²) kunye neNauru (21 km²).

Abemi bokuqala baseTuvalu babengabahambi ngenqanawa bempucuko yaseLapita, emva koko yayilawulwa ngabantu basePolynesia kodwa kwanaseGilbertese njengaseNui. Ezi ziqithi zaba phantsi kwempembeleloyaseBritaningasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-19. Iziqithi zase-Ellice zazilawulwa yi- United Kingdom njengendawoyokukhuselaukusuka kwi -1892 ukuya kwi-1916 kwaye njengenxalenye yekholoni ye-Gilbert kunye ne-Ellice Islands ukusuka kwi -1916 ukuya kwi-1976, emva kokuba abemi besiqithi bavotela kwi- 1974 ukuba babe ngabaxhomekeke eBritani phantsi kwegama le-Tuvalu. eyahlukana neGilbert Islands, eyathiywa igama leKiribati.I-Tuvalu yazimela ngokupheleleyo kwi -Commonwealth kwi- 1978.