Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones
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; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table
Environment—international agreements: party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
People
Population: 10,588 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (male 1,870; female 1,799)
15-64 years: 61% (male 3,062; female 3,360)
65 years and over: 4% (male 225; female 272) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.34% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 21.91 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)