| Location : |
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
17 03 N, 61 48 W |
| Map References : |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area : |
total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 443 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Coastline : |
153 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate : |
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Terrain : |
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m |
| Natural Resources : |
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55%
other: 77.27% (2001) |
| Natural Hazards : |
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - Note : |
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor. |
