FunafutiCapital
Tuvalu · Country profile
Funafuti is the narrow coral capital of Tuvalu, the smallest and one of the lowest islands-groups of the Pacific, a slender atoll that gathered the government and the hopes of the entire nation along the rim of one great turquoise lagoon. The capital consists of a string of tiny islets linked by causeways, with the single administrative strip of the main island holding the parliament, the offices, the banks and the shops of the whole country. It is a capital of the water, where the daily drama of the rising seas gives the nation its voice in the climate councils of the world, and where the fishing, the church and the quiet lagoon life set the gentle rhythm. Remote, sincere and profoundly vulnerable, Funafuti is one of the most remarkable small capitals on earth.
About Funafuti
Funafuti is the capital of Tuvalu. The city's documented population is around 6,300 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD) and Tuvaluan and English are spoken; the dialling code is +688.
The Thin Capital Atoll and the Lagoon of the Reef
Funafuti is a capital measured in minutes rather than in streets, where the main island of the atoll holds everything that the country owns in a single walkable strip. The days turn on the lagoon swimming at the great spit of the evening, the boat trips to the picnic islets and the deep-sea fishing of the outer reef, with the small museum of the island and the church of the centre for the quieter hours. Life runs on the tidal clock and the Sunday service, and the flights to the country land and the outgoing flights carry the whole connection of the world. It is a destination of the simplicity and the immersion rather than of the sights, and its warmth and its deep quiet give it an unforgettable sincerity.
The Sea Level Climate, the Weekly Flights and the Sundays of the Church
The climate is equatorial, warm and humid all year with the wetter months from the autumn to the spring and the cyclone season of the same window, when the travel plans stay flexible. The Australian dollar is the currency, the Tuvaluan and the English the languages, and the guesthouses and the fales of the capital arrange the lagoon trips and the outer-island excursions. The flight of the country, from the hub of the Fiji, runs a few times a week, so the connections frame the whole visit. The swims of the lagoon, the simple island meals and the slow unhurried pace define the stay, and the respect for the Sunday of the church and for the chiefs of the island nations keeps the welcome warm.
The Stamps, the War Wreck and the Link Roads of the Islets
The philatelic experience of the capital, led by the famous stamps of the tuvalu and the selling of the philately office of the island, remains the remarkable little claim of the whole country to the world’s collector’s knowledge. The wreck of the American war ship of the lagoon, the famous dive of the capital where the ship of the war rests in the clear water, gives the shore the great historical sight. The parliament building of the country, with the maneapa of the chiefs on its lawn, and the traditional meeting houses of the villages of the islets complete the picture of the tiny capital, while the conservation reserve of the lagoon protects the marine life of the whole island of the country.
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- Country
- Tuvalu
- Population
- 6,300
- Capital
- Funafuti
- Region
- Oceania
- Currency
- Australian Dollar (AUD)
- Languages
- Tuvaluan, English
- Calling code
- +688
- Country code
- TV
Frequently asked questions
Is Funafuti the capital of Tuvalu?
Yes — Funafuti is the capital of Tuvalu.
What currency do I need in Funafuti?
The local currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD). Languages spoken in Tuvalu include Tuvaluan and English.
What is the dialling code for Tuvalu?
The international dialling code for Tuvalu is +688.
Flying out of Funafuti? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.