Tuvalu

Tuvalu, in the South Pacific, is an independent island nation within the British Commonwealth. Its 9 islands comprise small, thinly populated atolls and reef islands with palm-fringed beaches and WWII sites. Its capital is Funafuti and consists of 12,000 people.

The Funafuti Conservation Area offers calm waters for diving and snorkelling among sea turtles, tropical fish and old shipwrecks, plus several uninhabited islets sheltering sea birds.