Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
note: Tuvalu's nine coral atolls have enough soil to grow coconuts
and support subsistence agriculture
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current 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
natural hazards: severe tropical storms are rare
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
People ———
Population: 10,146 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 1,865; female 1,798)
15-64 years: 59% (male 2,831; female 3,162)
65 years and over: 5% (male 227; female 263) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.51% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 23.95 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 8.87 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)