Geography of Grenada

Grenada
Nickname: The Spice Isle

Map of Grenada
Geography
Location Caribbean Sea
Coordinates 12°07′N 61°40′W / 12.117°N 61.667°W / 12.117; -61.667Coordinates: 12°07′N 61°40′W / 12.117°N 61.667°W / 12.117; -61.667
Archipelago Grenadines
Area 348.5 km2 (134.6 sq mi)
Length 19 km (11.8 mi)
Width 34 km (21.1 mi)
Coastline 121 km (75.2 mi)
Highest elevation 840 m (2,760 ft)
Highest point Mount St. Catherine
Administration
Grenada
Largest settlement St. George's (pop. 7,500)
Demographics
Population 109,100 (as of 2012)
Density 313 /km2 (811 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups Blacks 82% Mulatto 12% South Asians (Indo-Grenadians) 3% and whites 2.9%, trace Arawak/Carib Amerindian
Grenada - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image

This article describes the geography of Grenada.

Grenada is a Caribbean island (one of the Grenadines) between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located at 12°07′N 61°40′W / 12.117°N 61.667°W / 12.117; -61.667. There are no large inland bodies of water on the island, which consists entirely of the state of Grenada. The coastline is 121 km long.

The island has 15 constituencies and speaks English. It is volcanic in origin and its topography/landscape is mountainous.

Natural resources include timber, tropical fruit and deepwater harbors.

Grenada and its largely uninhabited outlying territories are the most southerly of the Windward Islands. The Grenadine Islands chain consists of some 600 islets; those south of the Martinique Channel belong to Grenada, while those north of the channel are part of the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Located about 160 kilometers north of Venezuela, at approximately 12° north latitude and 61° west longitude, Grenada and its territories occupy a small area of 433 square kilometers. Grenada, known as the Spice Isle because of its production of nutmeg and mace, is the largest at 310 square kilometers, or about the size of Detroit. The island is oval shaped and framed by a jagged southern coastline; its maximum width is thirty-four kilometers, and its maximum length is nineteen kilometers. St. George's, the capital and the nation's most important harbor, is favorably situated near a lagoon on the southwestern coast. Of all the islands belonging to Grenada, only two are of consequence: Carriacou, with a population of a few thousand, and its neighbor Petit Martinique, roughly 40 kilometers northeast of Grenada and populated by some 700 inhabitants.

Part of the volcanic chain in the Lesser Antilles arc, Grenada and its possessions generally vary in elevation from under 300 meters to over 600 meters above sea level. Grenada is more rugged and densely foliated than its outlying possessions, but other geographical conditions are more similar. Grenada's landmass rises from a narrow, coastal plain in a generally north-south trending axis of ridges and narrow valleys. Mount St. Catherine is the highest peak at 840 meters.

Although many of the rocks and soils are of volcanic origin, the volcanic cones dotting Grenada are long dormant. The only known active volcano in the area is Kick 'em Jenny, just north between Grenada and Carriacou. Some of the drainage features on Grenada remain from its volcanic past. There are a few crater lakes, the largest of which is Grand Etang. The swift upper reaches of rivers, which occasionally overflow and cause flooding and landslides, generally cut deeply into the conic slopes. By contrast, many of the water courses in the lowlands tend to be sluggish and meandering.

Table of Islands

NrIsland Capital Other Cities Area (km²) Population[lower-alpha 1]
1 Calivigny Island Port Calivigny south 0.28 20
2 Grenadines (Southern) Hillsborough Grand Bay 37.77 8150
2.1 Carriacou Hillsborough Lauriston, Grand Bay, 34 7200
2.2 Frigate Island 0.39 0
2.3 Large Island 0.5 0
2.4 Petit Martinique North beach Piton hill, southwest beach 2.37 950
2.5 Saline Island John Family mansion 0.28 0
2.6 White Island Limekiln Bay 0.05 0
2.7 More Islands Petit Dominica Mabouya, Sandy, little Tobago 0.18 0
4 Glover Island Degra Bay 0.06 0
3 Grenada Island St. George's St. David’s, Grenville, Sauteurs, Victoria, Gouyave,306.00 100930
5 Saint Patrick Parish Islands Sugarloaf IslandRonde Island 4.28 2
5.1 Bird Island 0.03 0
5.2 Caille Island West beach Whale bay0.70 0
5.3 Diamond Island southwest point 0.22 0
5.4 Green Island 0.14 0
5.5 Les Tantes Grand Tantes Petit Tantes0.3 0
5.6 Ronde Island South dock Corn Store Bay 2.70 0
5.7 Sandy Island west beach 0.11 0
5.8 Sugarloaf Island Southwest point mansion 0.08 2
6 Other Hog Island 0.11 0
  Grenada and the GrenadinesSt. George's St. David’s, Grenville, Sauteurs, Gouyave, Hillsborough, 348.5109100

Climate

The Grenadan climate is tropical, tempered by northeast trade winds. The land is volcanic in origin with mountains in the interior. The lowest point is at sea level, and the highest is 840 m (2,756 ft) on Mount Saint Catherine.

The abundance of water is primarily caused by the tropical, wet climate. Yearly precipitation, largely generated by the warm and moisture-laden northeasterly trade winds, varies from more than 3,500 millimeters (137.8 in) on the windward mountainsides to less than 1,500 millimeters (59.1 in) in the lowlands. The greatest monthly totals are recorded throughout Grenada from June through November, the months when tropical storms and hurricanes are most likely to occur. Rainfall is less pronounced from December through May, when the equatorial low-pressure system moves south. Similarly, the highest humidities, usually close to 80 percent, are recorded during the rainy months, and values from 68 to 78 percent are registered during the drier period. Temperatures averaging 29 °C (84.2 °F) are constant throughout the year, however, with slightly higher readings in the lowlands. Nevertheless, diurnal ranges within a 24-hour period are appreciable: between 26 and 32 °C (78.8 and 89.6 °F) during the day and between 19 and 24 °C (66.2 and 75.2 °F) at night.

Statistics

Area
  • Total: 348.5 km²
  • Land: 344 km²
Maritime claims
  • Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
  • Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
Land use
  • Arable land: 8.82%
  • Permanent crops: 20.59%
  • Other: 70.59% (2012 est.)
Irrigated land
2.19 km² (2003)
Natural hazards
Lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
Environment - current issues
NA
Environment - international agreements
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
Geography - note
The administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (northern Grenadines) and Grenada (southern Grenadines)

See also

Notes

  1. The Islands area and population data retrieved from the 2012 census

References

    External links

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