| 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: 431 sq km
land: 431 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative: |
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
97 km |
| 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 extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m |
| Natural resources: |
petroleum, fish, natural gas |
| Land use: |
arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33%
other: 60.46% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: |
50 sq km (2003) |
| 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 |
