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 straight baselines
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm |
| 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% (2001) |
| 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, 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
Source: CIA World Factbook
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