The Kingdom of Tonga (Tongan for "south") is the only archipelago in the Pacific Ocean never to have been formally colonized. It lies south of Samoa and east of Fiji and is about a third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii.
The islands are also known as the Friendly Islands because of the friendly reception Captain Cook received. He happened to arrive at the time of inasi festival, the yearly donation of the first fruits to the Tu i Tonga and was invited to the festivities. According to the writer William Mariner, in reality the chiefs had wanted to kill Cook during the gathering, but had been unable to agree on a plan.
Tonga is the only surviving monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean. (...)
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