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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:
275 km
border countries:
Dominican Republic 275 km
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| Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
continental shelf:
to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
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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:
20%
permanent crops:
13%
permanent pastures:
18%
forests and woodland:
5%
other:
44% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
750 sq km (1993 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, Nuclear Test Ban
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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)
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