|
|
|
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, western one-third of the
island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
19 00 N, 72 25 W |
|
Map references:
|
Central America and the Caribbean
|
|
Area:
|
total:
27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than Maryland
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
total:
360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km |
|
Coastline:
|
1,771 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
|
Climate:
|
tropical; semiarid where mountains in
east cut off trade winds |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly rough and mountainous
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate,
gold, marble, hydropower |
|
Land use:
|
arable land:
28.3%
permanent crops: 11.61%
other: 60.09% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
750 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
lies in the middle of the hurricane
belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional
flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
extensive deforestation (much of the
remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as
fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes |
|
Geography - note:
|
shares island of Hispaniola with
Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds
is the Dominican Republic) |
