| Location : |
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
18 15 N, 77 30 W |
| Map References : |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area : |
total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly smaller than Connecticut |
| Coastline : |
1,022 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin |
| Climate : |
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior |
| Terrain : |
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m |
| Natural Resources : |
bauxite, gypsum, limestone |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 10.16%
other: 73.77% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
250 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
hurricanes (especially July to November) |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - Note : |
Strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal. |
