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
water: 3,870 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 3,542 km

Maritime claims
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, arable land

Land use
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

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

Environment - current issues coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

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

Geography - note strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited

NOTE: The information regarding Bahamas, The on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bahamas, The Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bahamas, The Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.