ABSTRACT
It was widely assumed that the post-war era of decolonisation would draw to a halt long before all colonies became independent since many were simply too small (Fieldhouse, 1982, p. 411). However, size has never been a criterion for statehood, and as decolonisation proceeded, smaller and smaller states became independent, culminating in the independence of Tuvalu in 1978, then with a population of about 7,500. Although the demand for independence was couched in cultural terms, there were clear economic benefits from a separate independence.
