Geography of Barbados

Location: Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela.

Geographic coordinates: 13 10 N, 59 32 W

Area: total: 430 sq km; land: 430 sq km; water: 0 sq km

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 97 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

Natural resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas

Land use: arable land: 37.21%; permanent crops: 2.33%; other: 60.46% (2005)

Irrigated land: 50 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 0.1 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): total: 0.09 cu km/yr (33%/44%/22%)
per capita: 333 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Environment - current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers

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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: easternmost Caribbean island.