| Location : |
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
15 25 N, 61 20 W |
| Map References : |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area : |
total: 754 sq km
land: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC |
| Coastline : |
148 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate : |
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
| Terrain : |
rugged mountains of volcanic origin |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
| Natural Resources : |
timber, hydropower, arable land |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 20%
other: 73.33% (2001) |
| Natural Hazards : |
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - Note : |
Known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world. |
