Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
13 35 S, 172 20 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 2,944 sq km
water: 10 sq km
land: 2,934 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
403 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to
October)
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in
interior
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mauga Silisili 1,857 m
Natural resources:
hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 19.43%
permanent crops: 23.67%
other: 56.9% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons; active volcanism
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
occupies an almost central position within Polynesia