ing its Internet domain name ".tv"
for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.

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 water: 0 sq km land: 26 sq km

Area - comparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 24 km

Maritime claims: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 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% other: 100% (1998 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; in
2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in
Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements: party to: Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Geography - note: one of the
smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the coral atolls
- Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have
lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons;
Niulakita does not have a lagoon

People Tuvalu

Population: 11,146 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 1,851; female 1,785) 15-64 yea