Guadeloupe Geography - 2005

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
16 15 N, 61 35 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 1,780 sq km
land: 1,706 sq km
water: 74 sq km
note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin)

Area - comparative:
10 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km

Coastline:
306 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity

Terrain:
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,484 m

Natural resources:
cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism

Land use:
arable land: 11.24%
permanent crops: 3.55%
other: 85.21% (2001)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano

Environment - current issues:
NA