General Information

The Ocean of Light provides opportunities for Baha'i youth from around the world to dedicate some of their time to serve in Tonga. The youth volunteers usually are assigned to a teacher at the primary level as assistant and / or would be working on Reading Programme with students with special needs. Sometimes they are asked to work with a high school student on a particular subject or assist with general administrative works at the school. Should you need more information you can click here (username and password is required that can be obtained by emailing: ocean@oceanoflight.to).

Where is Tonga

Climate and Geography

Tonga has sub-tropical climate which means fairly hot and humid during summer time (mid November to mid March) and very pleasant the rest of the year. Annual average rainfall increases from 63" at Tongatapu in the South to 101" at Niuatoputapu in the North. Annual average temperature for Tongatapu is 75F. Hurricanes occasionally affect the islands. Tonga consist of about 150 islands of which 36 are inhabited. Tonga is scattered over 20,000 sq. miles of ocean. The islands lie in two fairly parallel lines on top of two undersea ridges. The Eastern chain consist of low coral islands while the western chain is of high volcanic islands. Population of Tonga is approximately 100,000.

Language

Tongan is the primary language and English is the secondary language. Visitors who speak English can usually make their needs known especially within Nuku’alofa (The Capital City), But conveying deeper meanings usually requires the services of an interpreter especially in the villages and outer islands.

Currency

The local currency is Pa’anga (also called Dollar). The rate of exchange is set by Tonga National Reserve Bank on a daily basis. One Pa’anga is approximately equal to US$ 0.49. There are three commercial banks in Tonga that accept most major currencies. You may use credit cards at certain restaurants and hotels only or for obtaining Cash Advance from banks and ATM machines.

Last revised: 11 November 2007