Puerto Rico Geography Profile 2008

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