Antigua and Barbuda Geography 1997

Location Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North AtlanticOcean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates 17 03 N, 61 48 W

Map references Central America and the Caribbean

Area
total: 440 sq km
land: 440 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda

Area - comparative 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 153 km

Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf : 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands with some higher volcanicareas

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Natural resources negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use
arable land : 18%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 9%
forests and woodland: 11%
other: 62% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues water management - a major concern because of limited natural freshwater resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increasecrop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Desertification

NOTE: The information regarding Antigua and Barbuda on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Antigua and Barbuda Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Antigua and Barbuda Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.