Location:
Caribbean, island in 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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 430 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 202
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
Coastline:
97 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Elevation:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use:
agricultural land: 32.6%
arable land 25.6%; permanent crops 2.3%; permanent pasture 4.7%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 19.4%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 48% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
Irrigated land:
50 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
Total renewable water resources:
0.08 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.1 cu km/yr (20%/26%/54%)
per capita: 371.3 cu m/yr (2009)
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
easternmost Caribbean island