Curacao Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 55 km off the coast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

12 10 N, 69 00 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 444 sq km

land: 444 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0

Coastline

364 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 60 cm/year

Terrain

generally low, hilly terrain

Elevation

highest point: Mt. Christoffel 372 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

calcium phosphates, protected harbors, hot springs

Land use

agricultural land: 10% (2018 est.)

arable land: 10% (2018)

other: 90% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

N/A

Population distribution

largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest

Natural hazards

Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

Geography - note

Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group in the Lesser Antilles

NOTE: The information regarding Curacao on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Curacao 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Curacao 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.