18/10/2024
Tuvalu is a small island country located in Oceania. With an area of only 26 square kilometers (10 square miles) and a population of less than 11,000 people, it’s possible to tour the entire country in less than 20 minutes. The country has just four hotels, one police station, and only government officials are permitted to drive due to the lack of space — Tuvalu essentially consists of one narrow road, where the ocean can be seen on one side and the sea on the other.
Tuvalu does not have its own university, so students typically travel to nearby Fiji for higher education, though education up to high school is free. The country is facing a grave environmental threat, as it is estimated that Tuvalu may be fully submerged by rising sea levels in the next 30 to 40 years.
There are currently only three prisoners in the country, and prisoners are allowed to leave their cells at 5 pm to work, with little chance of escape. Tuvalu operates without online banking or debit and credit cards, and uses the Australian dollar in a cash-only economy. They have just one bank, and much of the population spends their time eating, fishing, drinking, and gambling.
One of Tuvalu's main sources of revenue comes from their internet domain name, .tv, which generates around 12 million Australian dollars annually. Companies like Twitch, which use the .tv domain, pay significant fees for the privilege. Despite the country’s small size, Tuvalu has stable electricity, and its only hospital is the Princess Margaret Hospital, located on Funafuti.
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