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Location:
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Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 25 N, 61 20 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 754 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 754 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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148 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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Climate:
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tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
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Terrain:
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rugged mountains of volcanic origin
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
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Natural resources:
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timber, hydropower, arable land
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Land use:
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arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 16%
other: 80% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world
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