Geography
The Kingdom of Tonga is located in the southern Pacific Ocean, approximately 650 km south-east of Fiji and approximately 1850 km north-east of New Zealand. Tonga consists of more than 150 islands spread over approximately 360 000 km2 of the Pacific Ocean. They are divided into three main groupsTongatapu, Ha'apai, and Vava'u. About 40 of the islands are inhabited. Total land area is 750 km2.
Tongatapu is the largest island. The eastern islands, including Tongatapu, are of coral, while islands of volcanic origin lie to the west. The highest point in Tonga is Mount Kao (1030 m), a volcano forming Kao Island in the Ha'apai group. Several islands have active volcanoes. Volcanic ash creates fertile soil, even on the limestone islands, and the islands are well-vegetated.
The climate is oceanic tropical with high humidity and an average daily temperature range of 16° to 29° C. Precipitation averages from 1 800 mm a year on Tongatapu to 2 500 mm on some of the northern islands. The rainiest months are from December to April. Cyclones occur every few years during the rainy season and can be quite destructive.