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.
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The Palgrave Geopolitical Atlas: State and Quasi-State Actors in Great Power Competition
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3059-4812
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13
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Springer Nature
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Singapore
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10.1007/978-981-95-1507-3_51