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Location:
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Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 S, 159 00 E
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Map references:
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Oceania
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Area:
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total: 28,450 sq km
water: 910 sq km
land: 27,540 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maryland
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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5,313 km
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Maritime claims:
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measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM
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Climate:
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tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
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Terrain:
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mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
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Natural resources:
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fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
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Land use:
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arable land: 1.5%
permanent crops: 0.64%
other: 97.86% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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Geography - note:
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strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
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