Location:
Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
Guatemala and Honduras
Geographic coordinates:
13 50 N, 88 55 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 21,040 sq km
water: 320 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
Coastline:
307 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 NM
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to
April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 27.27%
permanent crops: 12.11%
other: 60.62% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
360 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very
destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible
to hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of
soils from disposal of toxic wastes
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline
on Caribbean Sea