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: 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:
1,910 sq km
country comparison to the world: 182
land:
346 sq km
water:
1,564 sq km
twice the size of Washington, DC
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
188 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Crown Mountain 474 m
sun, sand, sea, surf
arable land:
2.86%
permanent crops:
2.86%
other:
94.29% (2011)
1 sq km (2011)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
lack of natural freshwater resources
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