Location:
chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Geographic coordinates:
24 15 N, 76 00 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 13,880 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 10,010 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 3,870 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 161

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
3,542 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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

Climate:
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain:
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Elevation:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia on Cat Island 63 m

Natural resources:
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Land use:
agricultural land: 1.4% arable land 0.8%; permanent crops 0.4%; permanent pasture 0.2%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 51.4%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 47.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
10 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
0.02 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage

Environment - current issues:
coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited