Location: | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia |
| Geographic coordinates: | 16 00 S, 167 00 E |
| Map references: | Oceania |
| Area: | total: 12,200 sq km
land: 12,200 sq km
note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Connecticut |
| Land boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 2,528 km |
| Maritime claims: | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April |
| Terrain: | mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m |
| Natural resources: | manganese, hardwood forests, fish |
| Land use: | arable land: 2.46%
permanent crops: 7.38%
other: 90.16% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | NA sq km |
| Natural hazards: | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis |
| Environment - current issues: | a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes
Source: CIA World Factbook
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