Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic

Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 66 30 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 13,790 sq km
land: 8,870 sq km
water: 4,921 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
501 km

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

Climate:
tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,339 m

Natural resources:
some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil

Land use:
arable land: 3.69%
permanent crops: 5.59%
other: 90.72% (2005)

Irrigated land:
400 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; hurricanes

Environment - current issues:
erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages

Geography - note:
important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north