Jamaica Geography:
Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 77 30 W
Map references:
Area:
total:
10,991 sq km
land:
10,831 sq km
water:
160 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total: 0 km
border countries: NA
Coastline:
1,022 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain:
Mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Natural resources:
Bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 16.07%
permanent crops: 10.16%
other: 73.77%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
250 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Hurricanes (especially July to November)
Environment - current issues:
Heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal |
