Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603-1659) was a Dutch explorer. For a brief span of time Tasman was an employee of the United East India Company. Tasman served under the Dutch East India Company, and it should be noted that it was a counterpart to the famed British East India Company. Tasman enjoyed numerous explorations under this international corporation as well as making many of his own personal voyages.
On this day January 21st, in 1643, Abel Tasman became the first European to discover Tonga. Tonga is located in the South Pacific ocean amidst 176 other dispersed islands. The etymology of Tonga comes from the Polynesian word for “south.” This voyage was not documented well so there isn’t too much information surrounding the situation. Tasman, however, has been honored for his many discoveries with the naming of the country Tasmania, in addition to islands and even animal species.
As of 2010, data recorded approximately 100,000 people in Tonga, on land covering 289 square miles. Not much is known about the history of Tonga because it lacks written records, but we do know that the Dutch came to the island in 1616 – making them the first Europeans to encounter it.