Navassa Island

1. Navassa Island Introduction

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.

2. Navassa Island Geography

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 km
  water: 0 km
  land: 5.2 km

Area - comparative:
  about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  8 km

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

Natural resources:
  guano

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
  0 km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  NA

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

3. Navassa Island People

Population:
  uninhabited
  note: transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island (July 2002
    est.)

Population growth rate:
  NA

4. Navassa Island Government

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

Legal system:
  the laws of the US, where applicable, apply

Flag description:
  the flag of the US is used

5. Navassa Island Economy

Economy - overview:
  no economic activity

6. Navassa Island Transportation

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  none; offshore anchorage only

7. Navassa Island Military

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US

8. Navassa Island Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  claimed by Haiti
