Short facts about the geography of 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:  150 sq km land:  150 sq km water:  0 sq km note:  includes the island of Anegada

Area - comparative:

about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

80 km

Maritime claims:

exclusive fishing zone:  200 NM territorial sea:  3 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:  7% permanent pastures:  33% forests and woodland:  7% other:  33% (1993 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 catchment)

Geography - note:

strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

Source: World Factbook