Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Geography Profile 2008

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates

13 15 N, 61 12 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
land: 389 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

84 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate

tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Terrain

volcanic, mountainous

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: La Soufriere 1,234 m

Natural resources

hydropower, cropland

Land use

arable land: 17.95%
permanent crops: 17.95%
other: 64.1% (2005)

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.01
per capita: 83 cu m/yr (1995)

Natural hazards

hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat

Environment - current issues

pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive

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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays