Tonga Geography Profile 2008

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)