Tuvalu has a total land area of 26 square kilometers (km2) covering nine coral atolls and reef islands spread across more than 900,000 km2 of Pacific Ocean. Land resources are few and of poor quality and with the highest point of land only a few meters above sea level. About 50% of the population of approximately 9,600 resides on Funafuti where population density is high. Small size, isolation from markets, and a harsh physical environment are significant constraints to the country’s development.