Located in Oceania, Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, directly south of Western Samoa and about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. Its 176 islands, 36 of them inhabited, are divided into three main groups – Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu – and cover an 800-kilometre (500-mile)-long north-south line.
On the fourth of July, the Tongans celebrate the King's birthday with the week long Heilala Festival. It coincides with the flowering of the Heilala, Tonga's national flower.
Nukuʻalofa is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the southernmost island group of Tonga.