Geography of Fiji
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: 18,270 sq km land: 18,270 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
Land boundaries: | 0 km |
Coastline: | 1,129 km |
Maritime claims: | measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added |
Climate: | tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation |
Terrain: | mostly mountains of volcanic origin |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m |
Natural resources: | timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower |
Land use: | arable land: 10.95% permanent crops: 4.65% other: 84.4% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 30 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | cyclonic storms can occur from November to January |
Environment - current issues: | deforestation; soil erosion |
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 |