The Ellice Islands (Tuvalu) were declared a British Protectorate in October of 1892. Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1978. <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Tuvalu," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvalu, accessed 9 November 2020.</ref> | The Ellice Islands (Tuvalu) were declared a British Protectorate in October of 1892. Tuvalu became fully independent as a sovereign state within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1978. <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Tuvalu," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvalu, accessed 9 November 2020.</ref> |