Tonga is the Oceanian country divided into the island groups of Tongatapu, Haʻapai, Vavaʻu, and the Niuas.
These groups form the Kingdom of Tonga, a Polynesian archipelago in the southwestern Pacific. Tongatapu is the southern and most populous group and contains Nukuʻalofa, the national capital. Haʻapai lies farther north and includes both coral islands and volcanic islands, while Vavaʻu is known for its protected harbors, scattered islets, and whale-watching waters.
The Niuas are the northernmost group, consisting chiefly of Niuafoʻou, Niuatoputapu, and Tafahi. Although Tonga has five administrative divisions because ʻEua is listed separately, descriptions of its principal island groups commonly combine ʻEua with the southern Tongatapu group. That distinction explains why quiz references may list four groups.
Tonga’s islands were settled by Austronesian-speaking peoples associated with the Lapita cultural tradition. Archaeological evidence places settlement at Nukuleka on Tongatapu by about 888 BCE. European visitors included Abel Tasman in 1643 and James Cook, who visited during the 1770s.