Location Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates 13 10 N, 59 32 W

Map references Central America and the Caribbean

Area
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 97 km

Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

Natural resources petroleum, fish, natural gas

Land use
arable land: 37%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 12%
other: 46% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Environment - current issues pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers

Environment - international agreements
party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity

Geography - note easternmost Caribbean island

NOTE: The information regarding Barbados 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 Barbados Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Barbados Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.