| Location: |
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
8 00 S, 159 00 E
|
| Area: |
total:
28,450 sq km
land:
27,540 sq km
water:
910 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Maryland
|
| Maritime claims: |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf:
200 NM
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
|
| Climate: |
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
|
| Terrain: |
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
|
| Natural resources: |
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
1%
forests and woodland:
88%
other:
9% (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
|
| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
|
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
|
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