Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 159 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 28,896 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 27,986 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 910 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data):
144
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
5,313 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 ]
continental shelf: 200
nm
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Climate:
tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Elevation:
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mount Popomanaseu 2,335 m
Natural resources:
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Land use:
agricultural land: 3.9%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 0.7%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 2.9%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 0.3%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 78.9%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 17.2%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
NA
(2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
Population distribution:
most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas, and of these some two-thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port
Natural hazards:
tropical cyclones, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis
volcanism: Tinakula (851 m) has frequent eruption activity, while an eruption of Savo (485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying; effects of climate change and rising sea levels
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea