Location:
Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
6 55 N, 158 15 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 702 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 702 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km (fresh water only)
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie)
country comparison to the world: 191
Area - comparative:
four times the size of Washington, DC (land area only)
Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
Coastline:
6,112 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage
Terrain:
islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk
Elevation:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m
Natural resources:
timber, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate
Land use:
agricultural land: 25.5%
arable land 2.3%; permanent crops 19.7%; permanent pasture 3.5%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 74.5%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
Irrigated land:
0 sq km NA (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
Natural hazards:
typhoons (June to December)
Environment - current issues:
overfishing, climate change, pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
four major island groups totaling 607 islands