Page last updated on February 08, 2019

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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

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

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]

Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Terrain:
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Elevation:
0 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean
80 highest point: unnamed elevation 1.4 km east of Hikutavake

Natural resources:
arable land, fish

Land use:
agricultural land: 19.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 3.8% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 11.5% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 3.8% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 71.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 9.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

Natural hazards:
tropical cyclones

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; the only major break in the surrounding coral reef occurs in the central western part of the coast