| Location: |
Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines |
| Geographic coordinates: |
7 30 N, 134 30 E |
| Map references: |
Oceania |
| Area: |
total: 458 sq km
land: 458 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative: |
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
1,519 km |
| Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November |
| Terrain: |
varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs |
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Ngerchelchuus 242 m |
| Natural resources: |
forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals |
| Land use: |
arable land: 8.7%
permanent crops: 4.35%
other: 86.95% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: |
NA |
| Natural hazards: |
typhoons (June to December) |
| Environment - current issues: |
inadequate facilities for disposal of solid waste; threats to the marine ecosystem from sand and coral dredging, illegal fishing practices, and overfishing |
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: |
westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands |
