Environment: Climate
marine, tropical
Environment: Environmental issues
some coral bleaching
Environment: Land use: other
100% (2018 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
about nine times the size of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Geography: Area: land
5.4 sq km
Geography: Area: water
0 sq km
Geography: Coastline
8 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
200 m NNW of lighthouse 85 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
18 25 N, 75 02 W
Geography: Geography - note
strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock with numerous solution holes (limestone sinkholes) but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig trees, scattered cactus
Geography: Land boundaries: total
0 km
Geography: Land use: other
100% (2018 est.)
Geography: Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
hurricanes
Geography: Terrain
raised flat to undulating coral and limestone plateau; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Navassa Island
Government: Country name: etymology
the flat island was named "Navaza" by sailors with the Christopher COLUMBUS expedition in 1504; the name derives from the Spanish word nava , meaning "flat land or level ground"
Government: Dependency status
unorganized, unincorporated territory of the US; administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior, from the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Boqueron, Puerto Rico; Haiti has claimed the island since the 19th century
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
none (territory of the US)
Government: Flag
the flag of the US is used
Government: Legal system
the laws of the US apply
Introduction: Background
The US claimed uninhabited Navassa Island in 1857 for its guano. Mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The lighthouse, built in 1917, was shut down in 1996, and administration of Navassa Island was transferred from the US Coast Guard to the Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs. A 1998 scientific expedition to the island described it as a "unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity." The following year it became a National Wildlife Refuge, and annual scientific expeditions have continued.
Military and Security: Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.