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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:
total: 352 sq km
land: 349 sq km
water: 3 sq km
Area - comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 188 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
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:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use:
arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: 26%
forests and woodland: 6%
other: 47% (1993 est.)
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
Background:
During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial
units, one English and the other Danish.
Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during
the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the
Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition
of slavery in 1848.
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