Netherlands Antilles Geography Profile 2004

Location

Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands

Geographic coordinates

12 15 N, 68 45 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 960 sq km
land: 960 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

Area - comparative

more than five times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 10.2 km
border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km

Coastline

364 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

Climate

tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain

generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

Natural resources

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Land use

arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 90% (2001)

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Natural hazards

Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October

Environment - current issues

NA

Geography - note

the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)