Geography of the British Virgin Islands
Location:
| Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Geographic coordinates:
| 18 30 N, 64 30 W |
Map references:
| Central America and the Caribbean |
Area:
|
total: 153 sq km
note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada water: 0 sq km land: 153 sq km |
Area - comparative:
| about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries:
| 0 km |
Coastline:
| 80 km |
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
|
territorial sea: 3 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM |
Climate:
| subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds |
Terrain:
| coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly |
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
Natural resources:
| NEGL |
Land use:
|
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.) |
Irrigated land:
| NA sq km |
Natural hazards:
| hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) |
Environment - current issues:
| limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) |
Geography - note:
| strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico |
Information from The World Factbook.
- See also: British Virgin Islands