While the cartographers would drop Tuvalu in Micronesia, the sociologists and historians are in no doubt that the Rorscach Test-like scattering of islands belong to Polynesia. Language, traditions and artifacts indicate that Polynesians from Tonga and Samoa in the southeast arrived in the island group early in the 14th century. Almost three centuries later, the Spanish in Peru were starting to look around for new lands. In 1597, Don Alvaro de Mendaña y Neyra took off in search of the legendary southern islands or, perhaps, continent. On the way to a terrible holiday in the Solomon Islands, Mendaña cruised through the coral atolls of Tuvalu, not paying too much attention at all. Further European contact came in the late 18th century, and all of the islands were finally mapped by 1826. They were named the Ellice Islands after the British MP who owned the ship that first landed on Funafuti Atoll in 1819.

Labour 'recruiters' from Peru and missionaries arrived in the 1860s, doing what they did best. So successful were the 'blackbirders' from far-off plantations that Britain decided to annex the islands in order to halt the labour trade. In 1892 the islands became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands protectorate, then, in 1916, a crown colony. During WWII the US used Tuvalu's northernmost atoll, Nanumea, as a base to repell the Japanese who were threatening the Gilbert Islands. Wrecks of air and sea craft are still present on the island.

From the 1960s through to 1977, Tuvaluans embarked on steady constitutional development. In 1974 the Ellice Islanders voted to separate from the Micronesian Gilbertese. They then reverted to their pre-colonial name of Tuvalu ('eight standing together') and attained independence on 1 October, 1978. In 1987 the Tuvalu Trust Fund was set up by Britain, New Zealand, Australia and Korea to provide development aid.

Having made a significant proportion of its GDP through sales of highly sought-after postage stamps, Tuvalu was set to continue cashing in on communications. In August 1998, the Tuvalu government signed a deal with a Canadian company that was to net them US$65 million annually. Even though the Internet wasn't available in Tuvulu until 1999, their unique electronic domain suffix, '.tv', attracted interest from television networks worldwide. Unfortunatley due to non-payment by the Canadian company negotiations broke down. Despite this the Tuvalu Government is still keen to license its Internet domain name.

March 2000 Tuvalu received international attention due to a fire that killed 17 students and a teacher. The fire broke out in the country's only secondary school, killing students who were unable to escape the flames due to locked dormitory doors. There has also been focus on Tuvalu because of concerns that global warming could cause sea levels to swamp the country, as it is one of the lowest-lying nations in the world. With its admission to the UN in 2000, Tuvalu may now have a better opportunity to campaign about the threat of global warming.

Tuvaluan culture is steeped in the Polynesian tradition, brought to the islands by Tongans and Samoans in the 14th century AD. Although most Tuvaluans these days are Christian, their adherance to traditional life is still an important and visible ingredient in daily life. Perhaps due to a combination of the Polynesian tradition of respect for family, community and environment and the islands' isolation from the modern world, Tuvalu was named the only nation in the world above reproach for human rights violations by a panel of observers in June 1998. Given the missionary tradition in the Pacific over the last two hundred years, it is surprising that the locals have emerged socially unscathed, but - unlike neighbouring American Samoa and Tonga - Western culture has arrived but not dominated the islands of Tuvalu. Religion is a big part of Tuvaluan life and the Sunday service is the most important event in the week. Tuvalu has been described as 'very religious' by visitors, and strict Congregational Protestantism is evident in everything from church services to business dealings. As with other Christianised Pacific islands, this imported religion has been seamlessly interwoven into the complex code of traditional ethics and behaviour.

Tuvaluan culture is based on a complex set of social hierachies, courtesies and customs that regulate all aspects of public and private life. Several important social conventions should be observed by foreigners, including the removal of shoes when entering churches, meeting places (manepa) and private houses, and dressing conservatively when off the beach. Despite being geographically isolated, the Tuvalu people have an open, respectful relationship with visitors. Tuvaluans may indicate to a foreigner that they wish to have a private conversation; it is considered rude to speak a language in front of anyone who doesn't understand it, so they are simply being courteous. Dancing, singing and music play a big part in Tuvaluan culture, especially during the popular 'feasts of fatele'. If you are lucky enough to visit a village during a traditional celebration, you will be made welcome, and encouraged to join in the festivities. If you're stuck on Funafuti, groups of entertainers are available to perform traditional dances for a modest fee.

Village, island and national governments are all grass-roots organisations. There are no political parties, despite the Western-based parliamentary model.