The Tongan archipelago is thought to have been colonised around 3000 BC, but the earliest date verified by radiocarbon dating is about 1100 BC. The Lapita people arrived in Tonga between 3500 and 3300 years ago, and their first capital was near present-day Fua'amotu Airport on Tongatapu. The Tongans' oral history tells of a girl shellfishing who was caught and raped by the sun god Tangaloa, and she gave birth nine months later. The date for this event (determined by oral history) has been placed at 950 AD. Significantly, the Incas also believed their king was descended from the sun, and Thor Heyerdahl put forward the unconventional theory that Polynesians migrated from the Americas, not Asia, given the presence of sweet potato on many Pacific islands. Most of the scientific community has never swallowed this theory.

Tongan warriors were the Vikings of the Pacific, wreaking havoc in their wake. They subscribed to the view that war was pursued by noble and worthy men and peace was strictly for pansies. They extended the Tongan Empire to include parts of Fiji, the Samoas, Tokelau and Niue.

The royal title

The Brits were the next to turn up (and to impose their tyranny of place-names) in the late 18th century. Captain James Cook was among them, and he called Tonga the Friendly Islands, which the Tongan Tourist Bureau today likes to trumpet. While Cook boasted that his ambition had taken him 'as far as it was possible for man to go', he liked to pretend that he hadn't gone very far at all really, likening Tonga to the most beautiful and fertile plains of Europe. Equally ironic was that Cook never knew that the friendliness extended to him was part of a failed plot to kill him and steal all the neat stuff the Tongans saw on his ships.

The Spanish laid claim to Vava'u then promptly sailed away for good. The French certainly sniffed around, but no 19th century power managed to set up a colonial administration. Pirates, deserters, whalers, blackbirders - who ravaged some of the outer isles - and sandalwooders were the most permanent of European residents until the missionaries started spreading their influence in 1822. The Wesleyans were the most successful. By the time the French Catholic missionaries arrived, the Wesleyans had already converted Taufa'ahau, ruler of Ha'apai. Under his influence the whole of Ha'apai converted, and he took the name George when he was baptised, later becoming King George Tupou I when he united Tonga and ascended the throne. When George's great-grandson took the throne in 1896, the British coerced him into a treaty putting Tonga under British protection in foreign affairs. In 1918, his 18 year old daughter became Queen Salote I. During WWII Tonga formed a local defence force of about 2000 men, which saw action in the Solomon Islands. New Zealand and US troops were stationed on Tongatapu, which became a staging point for shipping.

Queen Salote was less interested in squabbles between churches than in education and medicine for her people. She was a popular queen at home, won friends for Tonga throughout the world and was mourned widely when she died in 1965. Her son, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, is the current king. By 1976 Tonga's full sovereignty was restored and the country was readmitted to the Commonwealth. The King established relations with the Soviet Union that year, which made the USA, New Zealand and Australia sit up and take notice of this stirring kingdom. King Taufa'ahau's reign has emphasised economic development, and the country has even enjoyed a pumpkin-led boom in recent years, with massive exports of pumpkins to the profitable Japanese export market.

By the early 1990s, corruption at high levels and increasing foreign influence had brought about a degree of dissatisfaction with traditional ways, at least in government. A 1990 parliamentary election resulted in unexpected victories for the dissident Tongan Pro-Democracy Movement (TPDM), whose platform included demands for the power of the aristocracy to be curbed and for a constitutional monarchy based on the British model rather than one in which government ministers must also be nobles and enjoy lifetime appointments.

The TPDM has gathered widespread support among Tongans, who, although they may not openly favour democracy or a change to their political system, continue to support the party at elections. There is also a widespread belief that the royally-appointed cabinet minsters and nobles' representatives promote the interests of their own class. TPDM is, however, outnumbered in Parliament by nobility in hereditary positions, and its leaders are continually harassed and imprisoned. In a paternal, 19th century-style concession the king has said that he would hand more power to the commoners at some future date, (as they did not have the experience or

In recent times, Tonga has broken ties with Taiwan in return for closer relations with China and has acceded to the South Pacific Nuclear free zone Treaty. Tonga was the first country to greet the new millenium.

Dance in Tonga has traditionally been an important art form, turning oral histories and folk tales into a visual form praising and honouring gods, chiefs, places and people. Weaving with the leaves of the pandanus palm is at its zenith as an art form in Tonga, and baskets and intricately worked mats produced by a variety of means are among the most beautiful in the Pacific. A reasonable body of literature has been produced in or about the archipelago in spite of its tiny size, and some of it goes beyond oral histories and folk tales. The earliest accounts are by castaway Will Mariner and Captain Bligh after he lost command of his ship. There are also several more recent collections of poetry and prose by contemporary writers.

The extended family is the basic social unit on Tonga, and it serves as a mini welfare state, with wealth, food and goods shared equally among all members. The concept of the communal extended family is so fundamental in Tongan life that parents have no real sense of 'possession' of their children, who are frequently shifted from one household to another, and may have several places to call home as a result. Gifts are given as a matter of course to new friends and even foreigners, so it pays to have a few tins of corned beef or souvenirs from home to give away so you can join in. These customs were already deeply ingrained by the time the missionaries arrived, and from Ha'apai, where the Wesleyans first started gathering souls, Christianity took a strong hold throughout the archipelago, wiping out most indigenous spiritual beliefs in its wake. Today the Mormons are spreading their influence and building churches throughout the islands.

Tongan food is delightful, and consists mostly of root vegetables such as taro and sweet potato, coconut products, fresh fruit, roasted suckling pig, chicken, corned beef, fish and shellfish. The delicious dishes made from these ingredients are an excuse in themselves to visit the islands. The traditional Tongan feast gets cooked in an underground oven, umu, common throughout Polynesia. The most refreshing drink available is coconut juice, and the locally grown Royal Coffee is excellent if you're after a caffeine hit. Beer is popular, and of course kava (Piper methysticum), the all purpose forget-your-cares-and-stare-at-the-sunset tipple, is widely available. Unfortunately, junk foods are making inroads, and islander's health is suffering considerably.