Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:
13 15 N, 61 12 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
water: 0 sq km
land: 389 sq km
Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
84 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM
Climate:
tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May
to November)
Terrain:
volcanic, mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, cropland
Land use:
arable land: 10.26%
permanent crops: 17.95%
other: 71.79% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a
constant threat
Environment - current issues:
pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by
pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is
severe enough to make swimming prohibitive
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note:
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays