About the Kingdom of Tonga
The Kingdom of Tonga is located at the heart of what is known as the “South Seas Triangle” which also includes Hawaii, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, and Easter Island, in the South Pacific Ocean, North-East of New-Zealand and East of Fiji, at Latitude 20 00 S and Longitude 175 00 W. Tonga consists of 170 islands in two parallel chains mainly of coral, although with a few volcanic, islands. Most of the larger islands are inhabited. Tonga is officially sub-divided into 5 sub-groups of islands, namely: Tongatapu, 'Eua, Ha'apai group, Vava'u Group and the Niua Islands. The capital, Nuku'alofa (meaning "Land-of-Love"), is located on Tongatapu - the main island.

Tonga (meaning "South") was named the "Friendly Islands" by Captain Cook in 1773 because of the warm welcome received from the islanders.  Tongan people are Polynesians (meaning "many islands").  The modern-day Kingdom of Tonga was founded in 1875 by the adoption of a written constitution under Tonga's first constitutional monarch, His Majesty King George Tupou I.

In September 2006 His Majesty King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV passed away at 88 years of age. He was the great-great grandson of HM Tupou I and it was the 22nd King in the line of the Tu'i Kanokupolu Monarchy and the fourth monarch in the house of Tupou. His Majesty had been on the throne since 1965, although his coronation did not occur until 1967. He started his secondary education in Tonga at Tupou College and graduated with honours in 1932. He went on to further studies and matriculated in Australia at Newington College, then continued his education and completed his BA, LLB at Sydney University. His Majesty was the first known Tongan to have graduated from a university.

King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was succeeded by his son and current King His Majesty George Tupou V, a 58-year-old bachelor.

Tupou V arrived at the funeral in a chauffeur-driven black London taxi wearing a pith helmet and one of the military uniforms for which he has a penchant.

(pictured left) Tonga dancers in local costumes 

South Seas Coffee, Kingdom of Tonga Coffee
In the late 19th century, the Kingdom of Tonga government ordered all land holders to grow a minimum of 500 cotton and 50 coffee plants. That was done and remnants of those coffee plantings had survived, but neither coffee nor cotton was taken up on a commercial basis.

  New Zealand and France began assistance for coffee growers in the 1970s. By the late 1990s, more than 20,000 trees were producing and more than 1500 kilos of beans were being roasted for local use.

Mr. Paul Karalus is the owner of South Seas Coffee, the only company processing and selling coffee in the Kingdom of Tonga.  Mr. Karalus set up South Seas Coffee.

Kingdom of Tonga coffee is very exotic and scarce, just a total of 1500 to 2500 kg of coffee are available each crop.
As a sign of its purity the coffee bears the Royal Seal by Appointment to His Majesty the King of Tonga. In fact, the King takes packages of Royal Tongan Coffee with him when he travels as his gift to other Heads of State.

Variety: Royal Tonga Coffee is 100% pure arabica of the Typica, Caturra, and Catimor varieties. 

 Altitude: the altitude at which this coffee is grown is 400 meters above sea level. As in the case of Hawaiian Kona coffee, the low altitude is compensated by its geographic location deep in the south side of the world.

Taste Profile: Because of its geographic position, this coffee has a very distinctive and mild flavour presenting a soft acidity and a good body. It is a well known fact that coffees produced in proximity to the sea develop a special character since the large body of water generates thermal air currents carrying moisture, as well as trace mineral elements which contribute to the overall taste profile of the coffee grown close to the sea. The South Seas have this effect on Royal Tonga Coffee and give it its distinctive character. 

Here are some of the characteristics of Kingdom of Tonga Royal Roffee: