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@Tuvalu

Introduction Tuvalu

Background:
In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice
Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert
Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate
British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000,
Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv"
for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.

Geography Tuvalu

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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 66.67%
other: 33.33% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were
three cyclones; low level of islands make them 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
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

Environmen