Imagine throwing a big handful of green and white confetti onto a blue tablecloth — that is a little bit what Tonga looks like from a plane. The islands are grouped into four main clusters: Tongatapu in the south (where the capital city Nuku'alofa sits), Ha'apai in the middle, Vava'u in the north, and the Niuas near Samoa.
The islands are made from coral and from ancient volcanic rock pushed up from the ocean floor over millions of years. Many are so flat that the tallest thing you see is a coconut palm. Others have low cliffs and caves where the sea rushes in and sends spray shooting upward through blowholes — like a giant natural fountain.
Tongan people have lived on these islands for over 3,000 years. Families on different islands keep close by travelling between them in boats. Children who live on small outer islands sometimes travel by boat each week to reach a school on a bigger island — their commute is across open ocean rather than a busy road.