Peter Zeller is a Charlotte, NC professional who delivers sourcing solutions as a member of the Honeywell International, Inc. team. A world traveler, Peter Zeller has taken in destinations throughout the world, from Australia to Tonga. The latter is a far-flung Polynesian archipelago that stands as the only nation in the Pacific never to have been colonized.
Spanning 169 islands, of which three dozen are inhabited, the country encompasses a vast area of 434,000 square miles. It is formed by a group of underwater volcanoes, which run in roughly parallel lines. Low islands such as Tongatapu, within the eastern chain, are protected by coral formations and limestone reefs, while islands in the Vava‘u Group that lack such protection are shrinking and more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Much like volcanoes on Hawaii’s Big Island, four of the Tongan volcanoes are still active and creating new land mass.
Tonga was placed on the Western map in 1773, when James Cook, a British sea explorer, visited what he dubbed the “friendly islands” for the hospitality shown to him and his crew. Today, the mostly Christian island nation still revolves around village life and has coconuts as a major source of trade. Many people live in fale, or rectangular homes made from woven reeds or coconut leaves (or timber), and with thatched or corrugated roofs. Tourism is also a major source of income, and popular tourist activities center around exploring pristine nature and snorkeling and scuba diving in the country’s biodiverse marine ecosystem.
