World Factbook
Tuvalu
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
26 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
26 sq km
Climate
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain
low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Land use
other
5.7% (2023 est.)
forest
34.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
60% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0% (2022 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 60% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Location
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia
Coastline
24 km
Elevation
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
unnamed location 5 m
mean elevation
2 m
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Map references
Oceania
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low levels of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level
Geography - note
one of the smallest and most remote countries on earth; six of the nine coral atolls -- Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae -- have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
Natural resources
fish, coconut (copra)
Area - comparative
about the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
8 00 S, 178 00 E
Population distribution
over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti