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Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast
of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 16 45 N, 62 12 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 100 sq km
land: 100 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature
variation
Terrain: volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small
coastal lowland
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills) 914
m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 10%
forests and woodland: 40%
other: 30% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic
eruptions (full-scale eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano occurred
during 1996-97)
Environment - current issues: land erosion occurs on slopes
that have been cleared for cultivation
Background: Much of this island has been devastated and
two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption
of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on 18 July 1995.
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