| Location : |
Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
19 00 N, 70 40 W |
| Map References : |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area : |
total: 48,730 sq km
land: 48,380 sq km
water: 350 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire |
| Land Boundaries : |
total: 360 km
border countries: Haiti 360 km |
| Coastline : |
1,288 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
territorial sea: 6 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate : |
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall |
| Terrain : |
rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m
highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m |
| Natural Resources : |
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 22.65%
permanent crops: 10.33%
other: 67.02% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
2,590 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - Note : |
Shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti. |
