The Geography of Navassa Island
The Geography of Navassa Island
Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, 35 miles west of Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti
Geographic coordinates: 18 25 N, 75 02 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 5.4 sq km land: 5.4 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 8 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: marine, tropical
Terrain: raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on southwest side 77 m
Natural resources: guano
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards: hurricanes
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock with numerous solution holes but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig trees, scattered cactus