Location:
Image of Puerto Rico taken by NASA.
Caribbean, archipelago between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates:
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Total: 9,104 km²
Land: 8,959 km²
Water: 145 km²
Area - comparative: Slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island, U.S.A.
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 501 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)
Climate: Tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: Mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas
Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
Natural resources: Some copper, nickel, gold, limestone and sand
Land use:
Arable land: 3.72%
Permanent crops: 5.07%
Other: 91.21% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 400 km² (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: Periodic droughts; hurricanes; earthquakes
Environment - current issues: Erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages
Geography - note: Important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
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See also : Puerto Rico, Geography of the United States
Last updated: 05-22-2005 15:59:00