Geography of Barbados
Barbados is a continental island in the North Atlantic Ocean and is located at 13°10' north of the equator, and 59°32' west of the Prime Meridian. As the easternmost isle of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, Barbados lies 160 kilometres (100 mi) east of the Windward Islands and Caribbean Sea. The maritime claim for Barbados is a territorial sea of 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi), with an exclusive economic zone of 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) which gives Barbados a total maritime area of 186,898 km2 (72,162 sq mi). Of the total EEZ area, 70,000 km2 is set aside for offshore oil exploration. A pending application to UNCLOS has placed for consideration a continental shelf 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) to the east and south (or to the edge of the continental margin). To the west, most of Barbados' maritime boundaries consist of median lines with neighbours. These neighbours include: Martinique, and Saint Lucia to the northwest, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the west, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela to the southwest, and Guyana to the southeast.
Nickname: Bimshire or Little England | |
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Map of Barbados | |
Barbados Barbados Barbados | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 13°10′N 59°33′W |
| Area | 439 km2 (169 sq mi) |
| Length | 34 km (21.1 mi) |
| Width | 24 km (14.9 mi) |
| Coastline | 97 km (60.3 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 336 m (1102 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Hillaby |
| Administration | |
| Largest settlement | Bridgetown (pop. 96,578) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 279,000 (2006) |
| Pop. density | 648.84/km2 (1680.49/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | 90% Afro-Caribbean, 4% European, 6% Asian and Multiracial |
Barbados' total land area is 439 km2 (169.5 sq mi), and it has a coastline of 97 km (60 mi) length. The island is sometimes compared to a pear or leg of mutton for its physical shape. Barbados has a maximum north–south length of 34 kilometres (21 mi) and a maximum east–west breadth of 23 kilometres (14 mi).