Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: severe tropical storms are rare
Note: located 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
- People
Population: 9,136 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 30 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)