GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references: Central
America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area—comparative: 2.5
times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 97 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy
season (June to October)
Terrain: relatively flat;
rises gently to central highland region
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources: petroleum,
fish, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 37%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 12%
other: 46% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: infrequent
hurricanes; periodic landslides
Environment—current issues:
pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil
erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination
of aquifers
Environment—international
agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity
Geography—note: easternmost Caribbean island
