Vanuatu's Geography | Vanuatu Geography

Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates: 16 00 S, 167 00 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: Total: 12,200 sq km land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited

Area - comparative: Slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,528 km

Maritime claims: Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: Tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April

Terrain: Mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m

Natural resources: Manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Land use: Arable land: 2.46% permanent crops: 7.38% other: 90.16% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: Tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis

Environment - current issues: A majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation

Environment - international agreements: Party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: A Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes

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