Area5 km²
Introduction
Background
In 1857, the United States asserted its claim over the uninhabited Navassa Island due to the island's guano deposits. Mining activities were conducted from 1865 until 1898. The lighthouse, which was constructed in 1917, ceased operations in 1996, and the oversight of Navassa Island was moved from the US Coast Guard to the Office of Insular Affairs within the Department of the Interior. A scientific expedition in 1998 characterized the island as a "unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity." The subsequent year, it was designated as a National Wildlife Refuge, and annual scientific expeditions have been ongoing.
Geography
Area
land
5.4 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
5 sq km
Climate
marine, tropical
Terrain
elevated flat to rolling coral and limestone platform; bordered by vertical white cliffs measuring 9 to 15 meters in height
Land use
other
100% (2018 est.)
Location
Caribbean, an island located in the Caribbean Sea, 30 nautical miles west of the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti
Coastline
8 km
Elevation
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
200 m NNW of lighthouse 85 m
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
hurricanes
Geography - note
strategically situated 160 kilometers south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; primarily consists of exposed rock featuring numerous solution holes (limestone sinkholes), yet it has sufficient grassland to sustain goat populations; dense fig tree groves, interspersed with cacti
Natural resources
guano (extraction ceased in 1898)
Area - comparative
approximately nine times larger than the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
18 25 N, 75 02 W
People & Society
Population
total
uninhabited
Environment
Climate
tropical, marine
Land use
other
100% (2018 est.)
Environmental issues
certain instances of coral bleaching
Government
Flag
the flag of the United States is utilized
Country name
etymology
the flat island was designated "Navaza" by sailors of the Christopher COLUMBUS expedition in the year 1504; this name is derived from the Spanish term nava, which translates to "flat land or level ground"
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Navassa Island
Legal system
the regulations of the United States are applicable
Dependency status
an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States; overseen by the Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the US Department of the Interior, from the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge located in Boqueron, Puerto Rico; the island has been claimed by Haiti since the 19th century
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
none (territory of the US)
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military & Security
Military - note
The duty of defense falls under the jurisdiction of the United States.
