Location: Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Tuvalu became a British protectorate as the Ellice Islands in 1892. It was administered as a colony along with the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati) in 1915. It became independent as a constitutional monarchy within the commonwealth in 1978.
Here's Funafuti too.