. .
|
Tuvalu Geography 1999
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:
Areacomparative: 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 24 km
Maritime claims:
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:
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
Irrigated land: NA sq km Natural hazards: severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones Environmentcurrent 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; 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
Environmentinternational agreements:
www.usais.org - USA Immigration Services. U.S Green Cards, Visas, Citizenship, Green Card Lottery, INS Forms, Immigration Information. Revised 1-Mar-99 Copyright © 1999 Photius Coutsoukis (all rights reserved) |