Molu, Kiali, and Moore, Liam (2026) Tuvalu. In: Fong, Brian C. H., (ed.) The Palgrave Geopolitical Atlas: State and Quasi-State Actors in Great Power Competition. Handbooks in Politics and International Relations . Springer Nature, Singapore, pp. 747-760.

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Abstract

Tuvalu is a state of contradictions. It has the second smallest permanent population of sovereign states in the world and the fourth smallest land mass, but Tuvalu also has an Exclusive Economic Zone comparable to China’s in size. Tuvalu has only held independence since 1978 and has been a full member of the United Nations since 2000, but Tuvaluans have a deep history on the islands spanning thousands of years. Mutual contradictions are inherent to Tuvalu’s statehood and interactions with the world. As competition between global powers for influence in the Pacific and the effects of climate change seek to threaten the future of Tuvaluan sovereignty, it is the very same aspects of size, location, and vulnerability that are being creatively leveraged to exercise agency and ensure Tuvaluan sovereignty persists, no matter what the future holds.

Item ID:	90108
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-981-95-1507-3
ISSN:	3059-4812
Copyright Information:	© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.
Date Deposited:	10 Mar 2026 04:50
FoR Codes:	44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4408 Political science > 440807 Government and politics of Asia and the Pacific @ 100%
SEO Codes:	23 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 2303 International relations > 230399 International relations not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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