| Location: |
Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
13 00 N, 85 00 W
|
| Map references: |
Central America and the Caribbean
|
| Area: |
total:
129,494 sq km
land:
120,254 sq km
water:
9,240 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than the state of New York
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
1,231 km
border countries:
Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
|
| Maritime claims: |
continental shelf:
natural prolongation
territorial sea:
200 NM
|
| Climate: |
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
|
| Terrain: |
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mogoton 2,438 m
|
| Natural resources: |
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
9%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
46%
forests and woodland:
27%
other:
17% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
880 sq km (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasionally severe hurricanes
|
| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; Hurricane Mitch damage
|
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
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