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 ]
land: 18,274 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 157

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,129 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 ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

Climate:
tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

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

Land use:
agricultural land: 23.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 9% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 4.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 9.6% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 55.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 21% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]

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

Population distribution:
approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas

Natural hazards:
cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Environment - current issues:
the widespread practice of waste incineration is a major contributor to air pollution in the country, as are vehicle emissions in urban areas; deforestation and soil erosion are significant problems; a contributory factor to erosion is clearing of land by bush burning, a widespread practie that threatens biodiversity

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