Page last updated on February 21,

Location:
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates:
17 20 N, 62 45 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 211
land: 261 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
one and a half times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
135 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
More Climate Details

Terrain:
volcanic with mountainous interiors

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
arable land

Land use:
arable land: 19.44%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 2.78%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 77.78% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
0.2 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
0.02 cu km (2000)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
hurricanes (July to October)

Environment - current issues:
NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island