Location Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida

Geographic coordinates 24 15 N, 76 00 W

Map references Central America and the Caribbean

Area
total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 3,542 km

Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation (measured from the archipelagic straight baselines)
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

Natural resources salt, aragonite, timber

Land use
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 32%
other: 67% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage

Environment - current issues coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

NOTE: The information regarding The Bahamas on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of The Bahamas Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about The Bahamas Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.