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Location: Oceania, group of three islands in the South Pacific
Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 9 00 S, 172 00 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 10 sq km
land: 10 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 17 times the size of The Mall
in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 101 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
Terrain: low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: lies in Pacific typhoon belt
Environment - current issues: very limited natural resources
and overcrowding are contributing to emigration to New Zealand
Background:
Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island
groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in
1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.
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