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
land:
260 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative:
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
64 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
Natural resources:
fish, arable land
Land use:
arable land:
19%
permanent crops:
8%
permanent pastures:
4%
forests and woodland:
19%
other:
50% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
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
signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
one of world's largest coral islands
- See also : Niue
