Tuvalu was formerly known as the Ellice Islands. Before 1978, the island nation was part of the United Kingdom’s colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The Gilbert Islands split off and became the nation of Kiribati, and the Ellice Islands became Tuvalu. On September 5, 2000, Tuvalu joined the United Nations, making it the smallest country by population in the U.N., with just over 11,000 people. Tuvalu is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just south of the Equator. The country’s primary source of income is licensing its use of country-code domain extension, .tv. The nation is made up entirely of atolls, coral reefs formed by the remains of sunken volcanos. The island nation only receives 2,000 tourists per year, despite having no visa restrictions.