Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N, 72 25 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total:
27,750 sq km
land:
27,560 sq km
water:
190 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total:
360 km
border countries:
Dominican Republic 360 km
Coastline: 1,771 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point:
Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural resources: bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
20.32%
permanent crops:
12.7%
other:
66.98% (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements:
Party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Signed, but not ratified:
Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)