Antigua and Barbuda Geography
LocationCaribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates
17 03 N, 61 48 W
Area
total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 443 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
Area - comparative
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
153 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
Natural resources
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Land use
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55%
other: 77.27% (2001)
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Natural hazards
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
Environment - current issues
water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly
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
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor
