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Location:
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Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
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Geographic coordinates:
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19 02 S, 169 52 W
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Map references:
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oceania
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Area:
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total: 260 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 260 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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64 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
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Terrain:
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steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
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Natural resources:
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fish, arable land
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Land use:
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arable land: 15.38%
permanent crops: 11.54%
other: 73.08% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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typhoons
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Environment - current issues:
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increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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Geography - note:
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one of world's largest coral islands
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