10 Terrific Tonga Facts

10 Terrific Tonga Facts

Love volcanos? How about tsunamis and tropical storms? Tonga may be the place for you. From wild weather to an enduring culture, get your Tonga facts here.

1. The Kingdom of Tonga is the only Polynesian kingdom that has never been controlled by European colonialists.

2. In Tongan villages, it is common practice for children to be raised by older relatives rather than by their biological parents.

3. At a traditional Tongan feast, people sit on woven mats and eat without plates or utensils.

4. After pirates kidnapped the entire male population of the Tongan island of 'Atu in the 18th century, the king of Tonga had the remaining women and children moved and declared the island taboo.

5. It was a common historical practice in Tonga to exile criminals by sending them off alone in a boat.

6. Humpback whales travel from the Antarctic to Tonga in order to give birth, raise their young, and breed.

7. Another name for Tonga is the "Friendly Islands."

8. The eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano on January 15, 2022, was the largest atmospheric explosion ever recorded.

9. Lakalaka is a traditional form of Tongan art performance. It is a vibrant dance that blends choreography, oratory, singing, and instrumentation.

10. Tonga's King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's heaviest monarch. He weighed 460 pounds before adopting a healthier lifestyle, through which he lost around 40% of his weight.