| Location: |
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
| Geographic coordinates: |
20 00 S, 175 00 W |
| Map references: |
Oceania |
| Area: |
total: 748 sq km
land: 718 sq km
water: 30 sq km |
| Area - comparative: |
four times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
419 km |
| Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate: |
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) |
| Terrain: |
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base |
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m |
| Natural resources: |
fish, fertile soil |
| Land use: |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 14.67%
other: 65.33% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: |
NA |
| Natural hazards: |
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou |
| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations |
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: |
archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited) |
