Location Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates 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
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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: 24%
permanent crops: 43%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 16% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou

Environment - current issues 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
party to: Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)

NOTE: The information regarding Tonga on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tonga Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tonga Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.