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Virgin Islands (territory of the US) Geography 2000 Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Geographic coordinates: 18 20 N, 64 50 W Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area:
Area - comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 188 km Maritime claims:
Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf Land use:
Irrigated land: NA sq km Natural hazards: several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes Environment - current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources Geography - note: important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in the Caribbean |