Navassa Island Government, History, Population & Geography

Geography

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Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, about one-fourth of the way from Haiti to Jamaica

Geographic coordinates: 18 25 N, 75 02 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 5.2 sq km
land: 5.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area—comparative: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 8 km

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

Climate: marine, tropical

Terrain: raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 meters high)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on southwest side 77 m

Natural resources: guano

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 10%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 90%

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment—current issues: NA

Environment—international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography—note: strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus

People

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Population: uninhabited
note: transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island

Government

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Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Navassa Island

Data code: BQ

Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior; in September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased operations and maintenance of Navassa Island Light, a 46-meter-tall lighthouse located on the southern side of the island; there has also been a private claim advanced against the island

National capital: none; administered from Washington, DC

Legal system: NA

Flag description: the flag of the US is used

Economy

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Economy—overview: no economic activity

Transportation

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Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

Military

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Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the US