Bahamas, The Geography Profile 2008

Location

Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Geographic coordinates

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

3,542 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

Natural resources

salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Land use

arable land: 0.58%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 99.13% (2005)

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

NA

Natural hazards

hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage

Environment - current issues

coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited