Location Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map references Oceania

Area
total: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 26 sq km

Area - comparative 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 24 km

Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources fish

Land use
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level

Environment - current issues since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements
party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geography - note one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

NOTE: The information regarding Tuvalu on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tuvalu Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tuvalu Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.