itorial 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.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: 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

Environment - current issues: 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

Environment - international agreements: party to: Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Tuvalu People

Population: 10,991 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 33.28% (male 1,862; female 1,796)

15-64 years: 61.6% (male 3,241; female 3,529)

65 years and over: 5.12% (male 236; female 327) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.4% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 21.56 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 7.55 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 22.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.65 years

male: 64.52 years

female: 68.88 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.09 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV