Located about halfway between Hawai’i and New Zealand, Samoa is a small island country in the southwest Pacific. Samoa is of volcanic origin with a total land area of about 2,900 square kilometres (sq km). Its location makes it vulnerable to the frequent occurrences of tropical cyclones. With sea-level rises projected to intensify coastal erosion, the country’s vulnerability is exacerbated by the fact that approximately 70 percent of its population and infrastructure are located in low-lying coastal areas.