Geography of the British Virgin Islands

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Location:	Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates:	18°30′N 64°30′W
Map references:	Central America and the Caribbean
Area:	total: 153 km² note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada water: 0 km² land: 153 km²
Area - comparative:	about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:	0 km
Coastline:	80 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):	territorial sea: 3 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
Climate:	subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Terrain:	coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Natural resources:	NEGL
Land use:	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:	NA km²
Natural hazards:	hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Environment - current issues:	limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
Geography - note:	strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico