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| Location: |
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
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| Geographic coordinates: |
19 02 S, 169 52 W
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| Area: |
total:
260 sq km
land:
260 sq km
water:
0 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
|
| Maritime claims: |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
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| Climate: |
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
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| Terrain: |
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
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| Natural resources: |
fish, arable land
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
19%
permanent crops:
8%
permanent pastures:
4%
forests and woodland:
19%
other:
50% (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
typhoons
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| 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
signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
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| Geography - note: |
one of world's largest coral islands
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