Geography of Tonga

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Tonga is located in Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. Its geographic coordinates are 20 00 S, 175 00 W. Over two-thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied Area: total: 747 square kilometers; land: 717 square kilometers; water: 30 square kilometers; ranking compared to other countries in the world: 189. It is about four times the size of Washington, DC. [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Land Boundaries: total: 0 kilometers; Coastline: 419 kilometers; Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nautical miles; exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation.

Land Use: agricultural land: 43.1 percent (2018 estimate). Arable Land: 22.2 percent (2018 estimate); permanent crops: 15.3 percent (2018 estimate); permanent pasture: 5.6 percent (2018 estimate); forest: 12.5 percent (2018 estimate); other: 44.4 percent (2018 estimate). Irrigated Land: 0 square kilometers (2022). [Source: CIA World Factbook 2023]

Climate: tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December). Natural Hazards: cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou

Geographical Features of Tonga

Topography: mostly flat islands with limestone bedrock formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic rock. Elevation: highest point: Kao Volcano on Kao Island 1,046 meters; lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 meters.

Volcanoes: moderate volcanic activity; Fonualei (180 meters) has shown frequent activity in recent years, while Niuafo'ou (260 meters), which last erupted in 1985, has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua

The western islands (making up the Tongan Volcanic Arch) are all of volcanic origin; the eastern islands are nonvolcanic and are composed of coral limestone and sand

Islands

Ocean islands are basically divided into three types: 1) "low" coral and sand islands; 2) "high" islands (usually exposed peaks and ridge-tops of submerged mountains and volcanos); and 3) parts of the continental shelf. Some continental islands were mountains and hills along the coast during last Ice Age when ocean levels were lower.

Low islands or cays were formed on coral shoals from reef sediments. Atoll islands are low islands (See Below). Seabird dropping fertilize the soils of some of these islands, which allow scrubby forest to take root. Others are battered regularly by storms and are little more than shifting piles of sand. Some patches of sand are so low they disappear during low tide and lose their status as islands.

High islands generally have better soil and a better supply of water than low islands. Low islands support only a few species of plant because there little topsoil and this soil has a high salt content. Although they often have no visible water sources they often are positioned over water lenses that trap rain water and can provide fresh water through wells.

Image Sources:

Text Sources: CIA World Factbook, 2023; “Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Volume 2: Oceania,” edited by Terence E. Hays, 1991, Wikipedia, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, BBC, CNN, and various books, websites and other publications.

Last updated August 2023