Location:
Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds
of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
18 00 S, 175 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 18,270 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 18,270 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,129 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation;
rectilinear shelf claim added
Climate:
tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m
Natural resources:
timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 10.95%
permanent crops: 4.65%
other: 84.4% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited