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
land: 26 sq km
water: 0 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
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.)
note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts and support subsistence agriculture

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones

Environment - current issues since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, all water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities; 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

Environment - international agreements
party to: Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

NOTE: The information regarding Tuvalu 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 Tuvalu Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tuvalu Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.