Geography of the Bahamas
Location: Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida
Geographic coordinates: 24 15 N, 76 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total:
13,940 sq km
land:
10,070 sq km
water:
3,870 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 3,542 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber
Land use:
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
0%
forests and woodland:
32%
other:
67% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage
Environment - current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
Reference
Much of the material in this article comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000.
