| Location |
Oceania,
archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way
from South America to Australia |
| Geographic
coordinates |
15 00 S, 140
00 W |
| Map
references |
Oceania |
| Area |
total: 4,167
sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km
water: 507 sq km |
| Land
boundaries |
0 km |
| Coastline |
2,525 km |
| Maritime
claims |
exclusive economic
zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm |
| Climate |
tropical, but
moderate |
| Terrain |
mixture of rugged
high islands and low islands with reefs |
| Elevation
extremes |
lowest point
: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Orohena 2,241 m |
| Natural
resources |
timber, fish,
cobalt |
| Land
use |
arable land:
1%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures : 5%
forests and woodland: 31%
other: 57% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land |
NA sq km |
| Natural
hazards |
occasional cyclonic
storms in January |
Environment
current issues |
NA |
Environment
international agreements |
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA |
| note |
includes five
archipelagoes; Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great
phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba
(Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru |