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: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 27,750 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 148
land: 27,560 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 190 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
slightly smaller than Maryland
total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
1,771 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
More Climate Details
mostly rough and mountainous
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
arable land: 28.11%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 11.53%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 60.36% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
920 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
14 cu km (2000)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total: 0.99 cu km/yr (5%/1%/94%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 116 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts
extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)