2003 Edition

Area

land

5.2 sq km

total

5.2 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

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. Geography Navassa Island

Climate

marine, tropical

Coastline

8 km

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 on the southern side of the island; there has also been a private claim advanced against the island

Disputes - international

claimed by Haiti This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economy - overview

no economic activity Transportation Navassa Island

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed location on southwest side 77 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Flag description

the flag of the US is used Economy Navassa Island

Geographic coordinates

18 25 N, 75 02 W

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 People Navassa Island

Irrigated land

0 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0%

other

100% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0%

Legal system

the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, about one-fourth of the way from Haiti to Jamaica

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US Transnational Issues Navassa Island

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

guano

Population

uninhabited

note

transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island (July 2003 est.) Government Navassa Island

Ports and harbors

none; offshore anchorage only Military Navassa Island

Terrain

raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Waterways

none