Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 74% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms
are rare; short droughts possible
Environment—current issues: water supply depends on catchments to
collect rain water
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography—note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
People
Population: 79,164 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 11,712; female 11,569)
15-64 years: 64% (male 24,879; female 26,038)
65 years and over: 7% (male 1,709; female 3,257) (1999 est.)