Tongans


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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Tongans

 

the indigenous population of the Tonga Islands, in Polynesia. They number about 98,000 (1974, estimate).

The Tongans are anthropologically and culturally related to the other Polynesian peoples. They speak Tongan, which is somewhat different from the other Polynesian languages. The Tongan culture has retained its original form to a significant degree, and the social structure is characterized by archaic features. The Tongans’ main occupation is land cultivation. Most Tongans are Methodists; there are also Catholics, Mormons, and Anglicans:

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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