adiotelephone service between islands
international: radiotelephone service to Western Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with three
satellite earth stations, established in 1997

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: each atoll has a radio broadcast station of NA type that
broadcasts shipping and weather reports

Radios: 1,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: NA (1997)

Televisions: NA

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Merchant marine: none

Airports: none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from
Western Samoa

Military

Military--note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

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@Tonga
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Geography

Location: 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
land: 718 sq km
water: 30 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
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 16% (1993 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: