Location:
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic

Geographic coordinates:
19 00 N, 72 25 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 27,750 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 27,560 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 190 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 148

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 376 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (1): Dominican Republic 376 km

Coastline:
1,771 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

Climate:
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly rough and mountainous

Elevation:
mean elevation: 470 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, arable land

Land use:
agricultural land: 66.4% arable land 38.5%; permanent crops 10.2%; permanent pasture 17.7%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 3.6%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 30% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

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

Population - distribution:
fairly even distribution; largest concentrations located near coastal areas

Natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes

Geography - note:
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic); it is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean