Jamaica Geography Profile 2009

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Geographic coordinates

18 15 N, 77 30 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

1,022 km

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Terrain

mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m

Natural resources

bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Land use

arable land: 15.83%
permanent crops: 10.01%
other: 74.16% (2005)

Irrigated land

250 sq km (2002)

Total renewable water resources

9.4 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.41 cu km/yr (34%/17%/49%)
per capita: 155 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

hurricanes (especially July to November)

Environment - current issues

heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal