Tonga

An archipelago of more than a hundred islands, Tonga is some kind of oddity inside Oceania. Not only it is a monarchy, but it’s also the only country in the continent that wasn’t colonized.

Actually, it is speculated that before the Europeans arrived, there was a Tongan empire that included much more islands. Then the Europeans came right in the middle of a civil war. James Cook also spent some time here, and it seems the Tongans wanted to kill him (something the New Zealanders must find horrible).

Tonga was part of the British Commonwealth, but it always recognized the king of Tonga as the actual monarch. This, combined with the fact it wasn’t colonized are considered its Crowning Moment of Awesome, and the Tongan are very proud of it. Not to mention the confidence they have in their monarchy (instead of the usual bickering) and the monarchy has been in the hands of the same family since the establishment of the Kingdom. Bravo.

However, the king has started to relinquish his power in favor of the Prime Minister.

The sport here is rugby. Considering the previous facts, it shouldn’t be a surprise. The languages are English and Tongan, a Polynesian language.

Tonga’s stamps are also known to drive the stamp collectors crazy.

Do not confuse with Tonka.

The Tongan flag