Curacao Geography - 2024

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