Some of the Tongan Olympians who competed in Tokyo this summer trained in China, all expenses-paid by Beijing.
Other violent eruptions had occurred as recent as 1946 when the government was forced to evacuate the whole population.
The island covers approximately 100 square miles and lies 215 feet above the sea level.
In Tonga, there really is nothing that can't wait until tomorrow.
In the summer, over a hundred humpback whales arrive in Tonga to mate and bear their young.
Small areas on the lower slopes are cultivated by growers.