Funafuti, Tuvalu's capital, is located in the southern Pacific Ocean on a tiny atoll comprising 30 islets of a reef 21 km long, with a land area of 2.6 sq km.
The island was discovered in 1819 and became part of a British colony in 1915.
Tuvalu was granted independence from Kiribati, the former Gilbert Islands, in 1975, and is now a constitutional monarchy.
Today, Funafuti is city with a peaceful atmosphere and an estimated population of 4.000.
It is also the centre of government and commercial development.
There is an international airport, used by Americans during World War II to defend Kiribati, hotels, administrative buildings and lovely traditional homes with thatched roofs together with modern ones.

Tuvalu’s largest island, Vaitupu consists of a large central island and several smaller islets. With a population of approximately 1,591 residents, it spans...