| Geography | Vanuatu |
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Location:
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Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia |
Geographic coordinates:
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16 00 S, 167 00 E |
Map references:
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Oceania |
Area:
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total: 12,189 sq km
land: 12,189 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited |
Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Connecticut |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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2,528 km |
Maritime claims:
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measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Climate:
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tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April |
Terrain:
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mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m |
Natural resources:
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manganese, hardwood forests, fish |
Land use:
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arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 6.97%
other: 91.39% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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NA |
Total renewable water resources:
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void |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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void |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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void |
Natural hazards:
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tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began on 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis
volcanism: Vanuatu experiences significant volcanic activity, with many volcanoes erupting in recent years; Yasur (elev. 361 m), one of the world's most active volcanoes, has experienced continuous activity in recent centuries; other historically active volcanoes include, Aoba, Ambrym, Epi, Gaua, Kuwae, Lopevi, Suretamatai, and Traitor's Head |
Environment - current issues:
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most of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable water; deforestation |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
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a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes |
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