Kingdom of Tonga

Abstract

Permanent interactions with the West led to significant cultural, economic and geopolitical transformation in Tonga from the late nineteenth century on. Architecturally, the transformations of thatched fale resulted in diversified styles of architecture. From the mid-twentieth century onward, further architectural transformations continued with increased reliance of the Tongan economy on monetary currency and greater availability of industrialized materials, and remittances from the Tongan diaspora living in Pacific Rim cities like Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington, San Francisco and Honolulu. In 2021, the population of Tonga itself was just over 100,000 people.23 The Kingdom of Tonga made international news headlines in January 2022 when a great volcanic eruption occurred about 65 km (40 mi) from the capital, Nuku‘alofa. The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai volcano erupted a plume of ash with reverberations lasting over eleven hours, triggering a destructive tsunami that caused three fatalities and significant damage (estimated US$17 million) to many properties in the neighboring islands of Tonga. The submerged volcano sits within the Tonga-Kermadec Arc – a highly seismically active and volcanic subduction zone. Such a large eruption occurs once every millennium, with smaller and discrete eruptions occurring intermittently on average every fifty to sixty years. Natural disasters perpetuate uncertainties and shape local perspectives about architectural conservation in Tonga.