Tongan Paanga

About Tongan Paanga

The currency of Tonga, the only Pacific island nation that was never colonized. The paanga replaced the Tongan pound in 1967. Pegged to a basket of currencies including the Australian and New Zealand dollars. Tongan banknotes feature King Tupou IV and later King Tupou V and King Tupou VI. The National Reserve Bank of Tonga was established in 1989. Tonga relies on remittances from Tongan communities in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.