Page last updated on November 15, 2012

Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 35 miles west of Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti

Geographic coordinates:
18 25 N, 75 02 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 5.4 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 246
land: 5.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
8 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
marine, tropical

Terrain:
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: unnamed elevation on southwest side 77 m

Natural resources:
guano

Land use:
arable land: 0%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

Natural hazards:
hurricanes

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock with numerous solution holes (limestone sinkholes) but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig trees, scattered cactus