Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola,
between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the
Dominican Republic

19 00 N, 72 25 W

Central America and the Caribbean

total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km

slightly smaller than Maryland

total: 275 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 275 km

1,771 km

contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade
winds

mostly rough and mountainous

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble,
hydropower

arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 44% (1993 est.)

750 sq km (1993 est.)

lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject
to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and
earthquakes; periodic droughts

extensive deforestation (much of the
remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as
fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban

shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic
(western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican
Republic)