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| Location: |
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico
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| Geographic coordinates: |
15 30 N, 90 15 W
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| Map references: |
Central America and the Caribbean
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| Area: |
total:
108,890 sq km
land:
108,430 sq km
water:
460 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Tennessee
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| Land boundaries: |
total:
1,687 km
border countries:
Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
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| Maritime claims: |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
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| Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
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| Terrain: |
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
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| Natural resources: |
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
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| Land use: |
arable land:
12%
permanent crops:
5%
permanent pastures:
24%
forests and woodland:
54%
other:
5% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
1,250 sq km (1993 est.)
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| Natural hazards: |
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms
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| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; Hurricane Mitch damage
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| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
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| Geography - note: |
no natural harbors on west coast
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