Barbados Geography Profile 2009

Location

Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

13 10 N, 59 32 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

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

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

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