| Location : |
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
15 30 N, 90 15 W |
| Map References : |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area : |
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly smaller than Tennessee |
| Land Boundaries : |
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km |
| Coastline : |
400 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate : |
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands |
| Terrain : |
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten) |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m |
| Natural Resources : |
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 5.03%
other: 82.43% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
1,250 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Antarctic Treaty, 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - Note : |
No natural harbors on west coast. |
