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: