| Location : |
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
13 50 N, 88 55 W |
| Map References : |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area : |
total: 21,040 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
water: 320 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly smaller than Massachusetts |
| Land Boundaries : |
total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km |
| Coastline : |
307 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
territorial sea: 200 nm |
| Climate : |
tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands |
| Terrain : |
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m |
| Natural Resources : |
hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 31.85%
permanent crops: 12.07%
other: 56.08% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
360 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - Note : |
Smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea. |
