SOPAC country profile : Tuvalu

Abstract

4 SOPAC country profile, TV Tuvalu comprises nine islands, which have a total land area of approximately26 sq km. The islands are dispersed in a n archipelago over the Pacific Ocean within Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)of about 1.3 million sq km.The low-lying atolls of Tuvalu, with a maximum elevation of about 5 m above sea-level, have an estimated population of 9 600 (1999)1. Funafuti, the capital,has the highest population and Niulakita, the smallest island, has the lowest.Lying within the trade wind belt, Tuvalu has variable rainfall with an average of 3 000 mm per annum and a mean temperature of 30°C. Because of its low elevation above sea level, Tuvalu is also extremely vulnerable to storm surges and sea-level variability.