Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. It became a British protectorate in 1900, and became fully independent in 1970. Tonga remains South Pacific's last monarchy. For most of the 20th century Tonga was quiet, inward-looking, and somewhat isolated from developments elsewhere in the world. But calls by young, Western-educated Tongans for a more democratic constitution have become increasingly hard to ignore. A public sector strike in 2005, marked by major street demonstrations, expanded into a campaign for political reform. In November 2006, days of political demonstrations deteriorated into a riot, leaving the central business district of the capital Nuku'alofa in ruins. The government declared a state of emergency to restore law and order to the capital. The state of emergency was repeatedly extended, and was still in place in December 2009. The small, open economy of Tonga is highly dependent on agriculture, fishing, and remittances sent home by Tongans living abroad. Like many other Pacific Island countries, Tonga is vulnerable to domestic and external shocks.