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Location: |
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
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Geographic coordinates: |
19 00 N, 72 25 W
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Map references: |
Central America and the Caribbean
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Area: |
total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Maryland
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Land boundaries: |
total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
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Coastline: |
1,771 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
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Climate: |
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
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Terrain: |
mostly rough and mountainous
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
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Natural resources: |
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
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Land use: |
arable land: 28.3%
permanent crops: 11.61%
other: 60.09% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
750 sq km (1998 est.)
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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
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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
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes
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Geography - note: |
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic) |
