Short facts about the geography of Niue

Location:

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Geographic coordinates:

19 02 S, 169 52 W

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total:  260 sq km land:  260 sq km water:  0 sq km

Area - comparative:

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

64 km

Maritime claims:

exclusive economic zone:  200 NM territorial sea:  12 NM

Climate:

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Terrain:

steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Elevation extremes:

lowest point:  Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:  unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m

Natural resources:

fish, arable land

Land use:

arable land:  19% permanent crops:  8% permanent pastures:  4% forests and woodland:  19% other:  50% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

NA sq km

Natural hazards:

typhoons

Environment - current issues:

increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Environment - international agreements:

party to:  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not ratified:  Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

one of world's largest coral islands

Source: World Factbook