Tvl ( t-VH-l), frmrly knwn s th llc slnds, s n slnd cntry n th Plynsn sbrgn f cn n th Pcfc cn, bt mdwy btwn Hw nd strl. t ls st-nrthst f th Snt Crz slnds (whch blng t th Slmn slnds), nrthst f Vnt, sthst f Nr, sth f Krbt, wst f Tkl, nrthwst f Sm nd Wlls nd Ftn, nd nrth f Fj.
Tvl s cmpsd f thr rf slnds nd sx tlls sprd t btwn th lttd f 5° nd 10° sth nd btwn th lngtd f 176° nd 180°. Thy l wst f th ntrntnl Dt Ln. Th 2017 cnss dtrmnd tht Tvl hd ppltn f 10,645, mkng t th scnd-lst ppls cntry n th wrld, bhnd Vtcn Cty, nd th lst ppls cntry whr nglsh s n ffcl lngg. Tvl’s ttl lnd r s 26 sqr klmtrs (10 sq m).
Th frst nhbtnts f Tvl wr Plynsns, rrvng s prt f th mgrtn f Plynsns nt th Pcfc tht bgn bt thr thsnd yrs g. Lng bfr rpn cntct wth th Pcfc slnds, Plynsns frqntly vygd by cn btwn th slnds. Plynsn nvgtn sklls nbld thm t mk lbrtly plnnd jrnys n thr dbl-hlld slng cns r trggr cns. Schlrs blv tht th Plynsns sprd t frm Sm nd Tng nt th Tvln tlls, whch thn srvd s stppng stn fr frthr mgrtn nt th Plynsn tlrs n Mlns nd Mcrns.
n 1569, Spnsh xplrr nd crtgrphr Álvr d Mndñ bcm th frst rpn knwn t sl thrgh th rchplg, sghtng th slnd f N drng n xpdtn h ws mkng n srch f Trr strls. Th slnd f Fnft ws nmd llc's slnd n 1819. Ltr, th whl grp ws nmd llc slnds by nglsh hydrgrphr lxndr Grg Fndly. n th lt 19th cntry, Grt Brtn clmd cntrl vr th llc slnds, dsgntng thm s wthn thr sphr f nflnc. Btwn 9 nd 16 ctbr 1892, Cptn Hrbrt Gbsn f HMS Crc dclrd ch f th llc slnds Brtsh prtctrt. Brtn ssgnd rsdnt cmmssnr t dmnstr th llc slnds s prt f th Brtsh Wstrn Pcfc Trrtrs (BWPT). Frm 1916 t 1975, thy wr mngd s prt f th Glbrt nd llc slnds clny.
rfrndm ws hld n 1974 t dtrmn whthr th Glbrt slnds nd llc slnds shld ch hv thr wn dmnstrtn. s rslt, th Glbrt nd llc slnds clny lglly csd t xst n 1 ctbr 1975; n 1 Jnry 1976, th ld dmnstrtn ws ffclly sprtd, nd tw sprt Brtsh clns, Krbt nd Tvl, wr frmd. n 1 ctbr 1978, Tvl bcm flly ndpndnt s svrgn stt wthn th Cmmnwlth, nd s cnstttnl mnrchy wth Kng Chrls s Kng f Tvl. n 5 Sptmbr 2000, Tvl bcm th 189th mmbr f th ntd Ntns.
Th slnds d nt hv sgnfcnt mnt f sl, s th cntry rls hvly n mprts nd fshng fr fd. Lcnsng fshng prmts t ntrntnl cmpns, grnts nd d prjcts, nd rmttncs t thr fmls frm Tvln sfrrs wh wrk n crg shps r mprtnt prts f th cnmy. Bcs t s lw-lyng slnd ntn, th cntry s xtrmly vlnrbl t s lvl rs d t clmt chng. t s ctv n ntrntnl clmt ngttns s prt f th llnc f Smll slnd Stts.