Geography of Tonga
Location: | Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Geographic coordinates: | 20 00 S, 175 00 W |
Map references: | Oceania |
Area: | total: 748 sq km land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km |
Area - comparative: | four times the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries: | 0 km |
Coastline: | 419 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Climate: | tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) |
Terrain: | most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m |
Natural resources: | fish, fertile soil |
Land use: | arable land: 20% permanent crops: 14.67% other: 65.33% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | NA |
Natural hazards: | cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou |
Environment - current issues: | deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note: | archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited) |