| Background: |
This uninhabited
island was claimed by the US in 1857 for its guano, and
mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The lighthouse,
built in 1917, was shut down in 1996 and administration of
Navassa Island transferred from the Coast Guard to the
Department of the Interior. 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. |
| Location: |
Caribbean, island
in the Caribbean Sea, about one-fourth of the way from Haiti
to Jamaica |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
18 25 N, 75 02 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America
and the Caribbean |
| Area: |
total:
5.2 sq km
land: 5.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
about nine times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
marine, tropical |
| Terrain: |
raised coral and
limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical
white cliffs (9 to 15 m high) |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on southwest
side 77 m |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 10%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 90% |
| Irrigated
land: |
0 sq km (1998) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
NA |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic
location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to
support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees,
scattered cactus |
| Population: |
uninhabited
note: transient Haitian fishermen and others
camp on the island (July 2001 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Navassa Island |
| Dependency
status: |
unincorporated
territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by
the Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the
Interior; in September 1996, the Coast Guard ceased
operations and maintenance of Navassa Island Light, a
46-meter-tall lighthouse located on the southern side of the
island; there has also been a private claim advanced against
the island |
| Legal
system: |
the laws of the
US, where applicable, apply |
| Flag
description: |
the flag of the
US is used |
| Economy
- overview: |
no economic
activity |
| Ports
and harbors: |
none; offshore
anchorage only |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the US |
| Disputes
- international: |
claimed by Haiti |
|
