Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

18 00 S, 175 00 E

Oceania

total: 18,270 sq km
land: 18,270 sq km
water: 0 sq km

slightly smaller than New Jersey

0 km

1,129 km

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation;
rectilinear shelf claim added
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

mostly mountains of volcanic origin

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential,
hydropower

arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 10%
forests and woodland: 65%
other: 11% (1993 est.)

10 sq km (1993 est.)

cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

deforestation; soil erosion

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are
inhabited