| Geography | Tonga |
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Location:
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Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Geographic coordinates:
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20 00 S, 175 00 W |
Map references:
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Oceania |
Area:
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total: 748 sq km
land: 718 sq km
water: 30 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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four times the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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419 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Climate:
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tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) |
Terrain:
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most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m |
Natural resources:
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fish, fertile soil |
Land use:
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arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 14.67%
other: 65.33% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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NA |
Total renewable water resources:
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void |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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void |
Natural hazards:
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cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou |
Environment - current issues:
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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:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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:
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archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited) |
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