Page last updated on January 28, 2014

Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Geographic coordinates:
19 02 S, 169 52 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 260 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 213
land: 260 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

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

Coastline:
64 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Terrain:
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: unnamed elevation near Mutalau settlement 68 m

Natural resources:
fish, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 3.85%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 11.54%
other: 84.62% (2011)

Irrigated land:
NA
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
typhoons

Environment - current issues:
increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

Geography - note:
one of world's largest coral islands