GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
El Salvador and Mexico
Geographic
coordinates: 15 30 N, 90 15 W
Map
references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km
Area—comparative:
slightly smaller than Tennessee
Land
boundaries:
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras
256 km, Mexico 962 km
Coastline:
400 km
Maritime
claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau (Peten)
Elevation
extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
Natural
resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle
Land
use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 5% (1993 est.)
Irrigated
land: 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural
hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional
violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and
other tropical storms
Environment—current
issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution;
Hurricane Mitch damage
Environment—international
agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertication,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography—note:
no natural harbors on west coast
