Location:

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

Geographic coordinates:

13 50 N, 88 55 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 21,040 sq km
land: 20,720 sq km
water: 320 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Massachusetts

Land boundaries:

total: 545 km
border countries: Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km

Coastline:

307 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Terrain:

mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m

Natural resources:

hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 31.37%
permanent crops: 11.88%
other: 56.75% (2005)

Irrigated land:

450 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

25.2 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 1.28 cu km/yr (25%/16%/59%)
per capita: 186 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible to hurricanes

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; contamination of soils from disposal of toxic wastes

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:

smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea