Page last updated on January 28, 2014

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: 18,274 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 157
land: 18,274 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
1,129 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight 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
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Natural resources:
timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 9.17%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 4.65%
other: 86.17% (2011)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
28.55 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.08 cu km/yr (30%/11%/59%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 100.1 cu m/yr (2005)

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited