Antigua and Barbuda Geography Profile 2009

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates

17 03 N, 61 48 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 442.6 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

153 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate

tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Natural resources

NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use

arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55%
other: 77.27% (2005)

Irrigated land

NA

Total renewable water resources

0.1 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.005 cu km/yr (60%/20%/20%)
per capita: 63 cu m/yr (1990)

Natural hazards

hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues

water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor