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Location: |
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize
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Geographic coordinates: |
15 30 N, 90 15 W
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Map references: |
Central America and the Caribbean
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Area: |
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Tennessee
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Land boundaries: |
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
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Coastline: |
400 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
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Terrain: |
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
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Natural resources: |
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
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Land use: |
arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 5.03%
other: 82.43% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
1,250 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards: |
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms
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Environment - current issues: |
deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Antarctic Treaty, 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note: |
no natural harbors on west coast
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