| 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 |
| 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: 23.61%
permanent crops: 43.06%
other: 33.33% (2001) |
| 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). |
