Geography of Barbados
Location: Barbados is Caribbean: an island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates: 13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total:
430 sq km
land:
430 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 97 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use:
arable land:
37%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
5%
forests and woodland:
12%
other:
46% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified:
Biodiversity
Geography - note: easternmost Caribbean island
Reference
Much of the material in this article adapted from the CIA World Factbook 2000.
