Tuvalu, The New Mini-State

The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, for more than 80 years a British colony, divided on October 1 into the Gilbert Islands, which looks for early independence, and Tuvalu, the small group of Polynesian islands to the south of the Gilberts known as the Ellice Islands which has opted for continued rule by Britain.

Outnumbered by the Gilbertese by seven to one, the Ellice Islanders feared domination by the Gilbertese once the colony had become independent.

They voted in a referendum in 1974 to separate from the Gilberts and become a British colony with the name of the Tuvalu Islands. The split, however, is in name only until January 1, 1976. Until then, the two groups will continue under the same administration. With the coming of the new year, the Tuvaluans will transfer their administrative headquarters to Funafuti.

The Tuvalu House of Assembly was scheduled to operate from October 1 with an executive body of three ministers including its chief minister.