ocation: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 175 00 W
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 748 sq km water: 30 sq km land: 718 sq km
Area - comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 419 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to
May), cool season (May to December)
Terrain: most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral
formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m
Natural resources: fish, fertile soil
Land use: arable land: 24% permanent crops: 43% other: 33% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic
activity on Fonuafo'ou
Environment - current issues: deforestation results as more and more
land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to
coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors;
overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but
not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
People Tonga
Population: 106,137 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.5% (male 21,374; female 20,555) 15-64
years: 56.4% (male 29,519; female 30,322) 65 years and over: 4.1%
(male 1,945; female 2,422) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.85% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 24.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 71.11 years (2002 est.) male: Total ferti
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