Editing Geography of Tonga

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{{Infobox country geography
| name               = Tonga
| map                = Tonga sm04.gif
| continent          = [[Pacific Ocean]]
| region             = [[Oceania]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|20|S|175|W|type:country}}
| area ranking       = 174th
| km area            = 747
| percent land       = 95.98
| km coastline       = 419 
| exclusive economic zone = {{convert|659,558|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
| borders            = None
| geographic center  =
| highest point      = on [[Kao (island)|Kao]] <br/> {{convert|1033|m}}
| lowest point       = [[Pacific Ocean]] <br/> {{convert|0|m}}
| longest river      = 
| largest lake       = 
}}

[[File:Tonga.jpg|thumb|300px|Tonga's position in the South [[Pacific]]]]

Located in [[Oceania]], [[Tonga]] is a small [[archipelago]] in the South [[Pacific Ocean]], directly south of [[Samoa]] and about two-thirds of the way from [[Hawaii]] to [[New Zealand]]. It has 169 islands, 36 of them inhabited, which are in three main groups – [[Vavaʻu]], [[Haʻapai]], and [[Tongatapu]] – and cover an {{convert|800|km|mi|adj=on|abbr=off}}-long north–south line. The total size is just {{convert|747|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}. Due to the spread out islands it has the 40th largest [[Exclusive Economic Zone]] of {{convert|659,558|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}.

The largest island, Tongatapu, on which the capital city of [[Nukuʻalofa|Nuku{{okina}}alofa]] is located, covers {{convert|257|km2|sqmi}}. Geologically the Tongan islands are of two types: most have a limestone base formed from uplifted coral formations; others consist of limestone overlaying a [[volcanic]] base.

==Climate==
The climate is tropical with a distinct warm period (December–April), during which the temperatures rise above {{convert|32|°C|°F|1}}, and a cooler period (May–November), with temperatures rarely rising above {{convert|27|°C|°F|1}}. The temperature increases from {{convert|23|to|27|C|F|1}}, and the annual rainfall is from {{convert|1700|to|2970|mm|in|1|abbr=off}} as one moves from Tongatapu in the south to the more northerly islands closer to the Equator. The average wettest period is around March with on average {{convert|263|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/index.php?destination=nuku-alofa |title=Climate Guides - Plan Your Ideal Holiday Trip |publisher=Weather2Travel |access-date=2012-08-17 |archive-date=2021-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225042707/https://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/index.php?destination=nuku-alofa |url-status=dead }}</ref> The average daily humidity is 80%. Cyclones can occur from October to April.

{{Weather box
|location = [[Nukuʻalofa]] (Elevation: 2m)
|width = auto 
|collapsed = Yes 
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 32
|Feb record high C = 32
|Mar record high C = 31
|Apr record high C = 30
|May record high C = 30
|Jun record high C = 28
|Jul record high C = 28
|Aug record high C = 28
|Sep record high C = 28
|Oct record high C = 29
|Nov record high C = 30
|Dec record high C = 31
|year record high C = 32
|Jan high C = 29.4
|Feb high C = 29.9
|Mar high C = 29.6
|Apr high C = 28.5
|May high C = 26.8
|Jun high C = 25.8
|Jul high C = 24.9
|Aug high C = 24.8
|Sep high C = 25.3
|Oct high C = 26.4
|Nov high C = 27.6
|Dec high C = 28.7
|year high C = 27.3
|Jan mean C = 26.4
|Feb mean C = 26.8
|Mar mean C = 26.6
|Apr mean C = 25.3
|May mean C = 23.6
|Jun mean C = 22.7
|Jul mean C = 21.5
|Aug mean C = 21.5
|Sep mean C = 22.0
|Oct mean C = 23.1
|Nov mean C = 24.4
|Dec mean C = 25.6
|year mean C = 24.1
|Jan low C = 23.4
|Feb low C = 23.7
|Mar low C = 23.6
|Apr low C = 22.1
|May low C = 20.3
|Jun low C = 19.5
|Jul low C = 18.1
|Aug low C = 18.2
|Sep low C = 18.6
|Oct low C = 19.7
|Nov low C = 21.1
|Dec low C = 22.5
|year low C = 20.9
|Jan record low C = 16
|Feb record low C = 17
|Mar record low C = 15
|Apr record low C = 15
|May record low C = 13
|Jun record low C = 11
|Jul record low C = 10
|Aug record low C = 11
|Sep record low C = 11
|Oct record low C = 12
|Nov record low C = 13
|Dec record low C = 16
|year record low C = 10
|rain colour=green
|Jan rain mm = 174
|Feb rain mm = 210
|Mar rain mm = 206
|Apr rain mm = 165
|May rain mm = 111
|Jun rain mm = 95
|Jul rain mm = 95
|Aug rain mm = 117
|Sep rain mm = 122
|Oct rain mm = 128
|Nov rain mm = 123
|Dec rain mm = 175
|year rain mm = 1721
|Jan rain days = 17
|Feb rain days = 19
|Mar rain days = 19
|Apr rain days = 17
|May rain days = 15
|Jun rain days = 14
|Jul rain days = 15
|Aug rain days = 13
|Sep rain days = 13
|Oct rain days = 11
|Nov rain days = 12
|Dec rain days = 15
|year rain days = 180
|Jan humidity = 77
|Feb humidity = 78
|Mar humidity = 79
|Apr humidity = 76
|May humidity = 78
|Jun humidity = 77
|Jul humidity = 75
|Aug humidity = 75
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 74
|Nov humidity = 73
|Dec humidity = 75
|year humidity = 76
|source = Weatherbase<ref>{{cite web
  | url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=88719&cityname=Nuku'alofa-Tonga | title=Nuku'alofa Climate Info  | publisher=Weatherbase
  | access-date=4 November 2012}}</ref>
|date=October 2015}}

==Geology==
Though administratively divided into the three main island groups of Tongatapu, Ha'apai, and Vava'u (excluding the outlying islands), the Tonga archipelago is actually made of two geologically different parallel chains of islands.

The western islands, such as [[ʻAta]] (also known as Pylstaart island), Fonuafo'ou, [[Tofua]], [[Kao (island)|Kao]], [[Lata'iki]], [[Late (Tonga)|Late]], [[Fonualei]], [[Tokū, Tonga|Toku]], [[Niuatoputapu]], and [[Tafahi]], make up the Tongan Volcanic Arc and are all of volcanic origin.<ref name="burley">David V. Burley, ''Tongan Archaeology and the Tongan Past, 2850-150 B.P'', Journal of World Prehistory, Vol. 12, No. 3 (September 1998)</ref>  They were created from the [[subduction]] of the westwards-moving [[Pacific Plate|Pacific plate]] under the Australia-India plate at the Tonga Trench.  The Tongan Islands sit on the Australia-India plate just west of the [[Tonga Trench]]. These volcanoes are formed when materials in the descending Pacific plate heat and rise to the surface. There is only limited coral reef development on these islands, except for Niuatoputapu.<ref name="burley"/>

The eastern islands are not volcanic and sit above the mostly submerged Tonga ridge that runs parallel to the Tongan Volcanic Arc and the Tongan Trench. Of these islands, only [['Eua]] has risen high enough to expose its underlying [[Eocene]] volcanic bedrock, the rest are either low coral limestone islands ([[Tongatapu]], [[Vava'u]], [[Lifuka]]) or sand cay islands ('[[Uoleva]], [[ʻUiha|'Uiha]]).<ref name="burley"/>  These islands are surrounded by "a protective and resource-rich labyrinth of fringing, apron and off-shore barrier reefs" that have supported most of the human settlement in Tonga ever since the first Lapita People arrived circa 900 BCE.<ref name="burley"/>

The Tongan Volcanic Arc has been important in supplying the islands on the Tonga ridge with an [[andesite]] [[tephra]] soil that has resulted in "an extremely rich soil capable of supporting a high-yield, short-fallow agricultural system."  Also, the andesite/basalt from the volcanoes were initially used as "hammerstones, weaving weights, cooking stones, and decorative pebbles for grave decoration."<ref name="burley"/>  Tafahi island in the far north provided volcanic glass to initial human settlers.<ref name="burley"/>

In December 2014 and January 2015, a volcanic island 1&nbsp;km wide by 2&nbsp;km long was created adjacent to the island of [[Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai]] 65 kilometers northwest of Nuku'alofa. The volcanic eruption has built the new island to a height of 100 m composed of ash and large rock fragments.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.discovery.com/earth/weather-extreme-events/tongan-volcano-creates-new-island-150117.htm | title=D news | access-date=January 21, 2015 | archive-date=May 13, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513201753/http://news.discovery.com/earth/weather-extreme-events/tongan-volcano-creates-new-island-150117.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> In regards to volcanism, Tonga has moderate volcanic activity. [[Fonualei]] (elev. 180 m) has shown frequent activity in recent years, while [[Niuafo'ou]] (elev. 260 m), which last erupted in 1985, has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua. Natural hazards include earthquakes and volcanic activity at Fonuafo'ou (Falcon Shoal/Island) and Late'iki ([[Metis Shoal]]/Island).

==Facts==
[[File:Coastline in Tonga.jpg|thumb|Coastline in Tonga.]]
[[File:Nuku Island Vava'u.jpg|thumb|Nuku Island Vava'u]]

'''[[Geographic coordinates]]:''' {{coord|20|S|175|W|type:country}}

'''Area:'''
<br/>''total:'' {{convert|747|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}
<br/>''land:'' {{convert|717|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}
<br/>''water:'' {{convert|30|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}

'''Coastline:'''
{{convert|419|km|mi|abbr=on}}

'''Maritime claims:'''
<br/>''continental shelf:''
{{convert|200|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} depth or to the depth of exploitation
<br/>''[[exclusive economic zone]]:''
{{convert|659,558|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} and {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=on}}
<br/>''territorial sea:''
{{convert|12|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}}

'''Elevation extremes:'''
<br/>''lowest point:''
Pacific Ocean {{convert|0|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
<br/>''highest point:''
unnamed location on [[Kao (island)|Kao]] {{convert|1033|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

'''Land use:'''
<br/>''arable land:''
21.33%
<br/>''permanent crops:''
14.67%
<br/>''other:''
64.00% (2011)

'''Environment - international agreements:'''
<br/>''party to:''
[[Biodiversity]], Climate Change, Climate Change [[Kyoto-Protocol]], [[Desertification]], Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, and Ship Pollution.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/colombia/|title=Archived copy|access-date=2010-02-17}}</ref>

Natural resources are fish and fertile soil. Current environmental issues are [[deforestation]] as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; and overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations.

==See also==
*[[Tongan tropical moist forests]]
*[[List of islands and towns in Tonga]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{Include-USGov |agency=United States Department of State|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/16092.htm}}
*[[World Factbook]]

{{Geography of Oceania}}

[[Category:Geography of Tonga| ]]