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Location:
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Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 S, 178 00 E
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Map references:
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Oceania
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Area:
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total: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 26 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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24 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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Climate:
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tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
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Terrain:
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very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m
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Natural resources:
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fish
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (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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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
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
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Geography - note:
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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
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