Page last updated on February 08, 2019

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:
11 00 N, 61 00 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 5,128 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 5,128 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 174

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
362 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental margin
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to December)
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Elevation:
mean elevation: 83 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: 0 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea
940 highest point: El Cerro del Aripo

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Land use:
agricultural land: 10.6% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 4.9% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 4.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 1.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 44% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 45.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
70 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
population on Trinidad is concentrated in the western half of the island, on Tobago in the southern half

Natural hazards:
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Environment - current issues:
water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; widespread pollution of waterways and coastal areas; illegal dumping; deforestation; soil erosion; fisheries and wildlife depletion

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt