Located in Oceania, Tonga is an archipelago in the
South Pacific Ocean, directly
south of Western Samoa and about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. Its 176
islands, 36 of them inhabited, are divided into three main groups – Vava'u, Ha'apai, and
Tongatapu
– and cover an 800-kilometre (500-mile)-long north-south line. The largest
island, Tongatapu, on which the capital city of Nukuʻalofa is located, covers 257 square kilometres (99
sq mi). 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.Contents
ClimateThe climate is basically subtropical with a distinct warm period (December-April), during which the temperatures rise above 32 °C (89.6 °F), and a cooler period (May-November), with temperatures rarely rising above
27 °C (80.6 °F). The temperature increases from 23 to 27 °C (73.4 to 80.6 °F), and the annual rainfall is from 1,700 to 2,970 millimetres (66.9 to 116.9 inches) 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 263 mm (10.4 in).
The average daily humidity is 80%.
