Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 66 30 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Geography - note:
total:
13,790 sq km
country comparison to the world: 163
land:
8,870 sq km
water:
4,921 sq km
slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
501 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil
arable land:
6.76%
permanent crops:
4.51%
other:
88.73% (2011)
220.4 sq km (2005)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
periodic droughts; hurricanes
erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north