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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:
total: 9,104 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km
water: 145 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size
of Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 501 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature
variation
Terrain: mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north;
mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along
most coastal areas
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for
onshore and offshore oil
Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 26%
forests and woodland: 16%
other: 49% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 390 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; hurricanes
Environment - current issues: erosion; occasional drought
causing water shortages
Geography - note: 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
Background: Discovered by Columbus in 1493, the island was
ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American
War. A popularly elected governor has served since 1948. In plebiscites
held in 1967 and 1993, voters chose to retain commonwealth status.
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