|
| 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
land:
20,720 sq km
water:
320 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
545 km
border countries:
Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 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%
permanent crops:
8%
permanent pastures:
29%
forests and woodland:
5%
other:
31% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
1,200 sq km (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity
|
| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes; Hurricane Mitch damage
|
| 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
|
|
|
|
