IAS Gyan

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TONGA                

17th January, 2022 Geography

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Context

  • The Pacific country of Tonga experienced a large volcanic eruption followed by a tsunami that flooded parts of the capital, Nuku'alofa, which is lies just 65km north of the volcano.

 

About

  • Location: Located in Oceania, Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, directly south of Samoa and about two-thirds of the way from Hawai'i to New Zealand.
  • Capital: The capital city of NukuÊ»alofa is located on the largest island.
  • Islands: Its 169 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.
  • Geology: 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.
  • Climate: Tonga has a tropical rainforest climate (Af).
  • Volcano: Hunga Tonga-Hunga HaÊ»apai volcano in Tonga is part of the highly active Tonga–Kermadec Islands volcanic arc, a subduction zone extending from New Zealand north-northeast to Fiji. The island arc is formed at the convergent boundary where the Pacific Plate subducts under the Indo-Australian Plate.

 

 

https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=Tonga-hit-by-tsunami-after-volcanic-eruption&id=433553