Geography of Guatemala
Location: | Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize |
Geographic coordinates: | 15 30 N, 90 15 W |
Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean |
Area: | total: 108,890 sq km land: 108,430 sq km water: 460 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Tennessee |
Land boundaries: | total: 1,687 km border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km |
Coastline: | 400 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Climate: | tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands |
Terrain: | mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m |
Natural resources: | petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower |
Land use: | arable land: 13.22% permanent crops: 5.6% other: 81.18% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 1,300 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms |
Environment - current issues: | deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note: | no natural harbors on west coast |