Tuvalu
Tuvalu — one of the worlds smallest independent nations —
consists of a group of five atolls and four islands spread over some 570 km of the south-central Pacific,
located between the Gilbert Islands to the north and the islands of Fiji and
Wallis & Futuna to the south.
The group forms a loose chain orientated from northwest to southeast spread over a distance of some 690 km. The atolls and islands are emergent features of the Tuvalu seamount trail — itself part of the larger Marshall-Gilbert-Tuvalu chain of seamounts. At its southern extremity the Tuvalu seamount trail connects with the east to west trending Samoan Hotspot Trail of seamounts.
Its islands have a combined land area of just 25 km², although claim an Exclusive Economic Zone of approximately 1.3 million km². The islands were formerly known as the Ellice Islands, when they were part of the British Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. The Gilbert Islands became part of the new nation of Kiribati (Gilbert Islands, Rawaki (Phoenix) Islands, Line Islands and Banaba.
There are five atolls within the group, consisting of the capital and main population centre of Funafuti (2.54 km²), Nukufetau (3.07 km²), Nukulaelae (1.66 km²), Nui (3.37 km²) and Nanumea (3.61 km²) — the northernmost member of the Tuvalu group. In additon to the five atolls there are also four small, solitary islands: Niutao (2.26 km²) and Nanumanga (3.10 km²) in the north, Vaitupu (5.09 km²) — the largest landmass in the group — in the centre — and in the south the small island of Niulakita (0.4 km²), located upon the southwestern corner of the large Kosciusko Seamount in the Tuvalu South Banks region. These islands are low coral limestone formations some of which enclose hyperslaine lagoons.
The islands of Tuvalu mostly have poorly-developed soils composed of sand and coral rubble that supports a vegetation dominated by coconut palms, atoll scrub and some broadleaf woodland. Around the lagoons are extensive areas of mangrove forest.
The climate of the islands is of tropical-marine type, influenced by the southeast Pacific trade winds. There is a wet Westerly season from November to April and a dry Easterly season from May to October. Average rainfall on Funafuti is 3,000 mm, with the islands of the north being drier.