Highways:
total: 121 km
paved : 24 km
unpaved: 97 km

Ports and harbors: Grand Turk, Providenciales

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 7 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m : 2 (1996 est.)

Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics
destined for the US
______________________________________________________________________

TUVALU

@Tuvalu:Geography

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 rare

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

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

@Tuvalu:People

Population: 10,297 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 1,871; female 1,803)
15-64 years : 59% (male 2,