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Location:
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Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
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Geographic coordinates:
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19 00 N, 72 25 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: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maryland
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Land boundaries:
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total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
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Coastline:
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1,771 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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Climate:
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tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
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Terrain:
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mostly rough and mountainous
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
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Natural resources:
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bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 20.32%
permanent crops: 12.7%
other: 66.98% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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750 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban
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Geography - note:
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shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
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