Geography of Barbados

The physical characteristics of Barbados are its lowlands or gently sloping, terraced plains, separated by rolling hills that generally parallel the coasts. Elevations in the interior range from 180 to 240 meters above sea level. Mount Hillaby is the highest point at 340 meters above sea level. or Pico de Tenerife, which is named after the fact that the island of Tenerife in Spain is the first land east of Barbados according to the belief of the locals. In Barbados forest cover is around 15% of the total land area, equivalent to 6,300 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, which was unchanged from 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 6,300 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 0 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 5% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 1% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership, 0% private ownership and 99% with ownership listed as other or unknown. == Populated places ==

List of: Cities, towns and villages in Barbados. • Bridgetown • Holetown • Oistins • Six Cross Roads • Speightstown • Saint Lawrence Gap • Warrens • Black Rock, Barbados • Bank Hall == Proposed developments ==

In 2009 and 2010, members of the upscale real estate industry in Barbados proposed the creation of artificial islands to be placed off the west coast. According to Paul Altman of Altman Realty the envisioned plan, would consist of two islands, one measuring in size, and would house new tourism based developments and upscale boutique shops; while the second island would be in size, and would serve as an open national park. Both proposed islands would be a short distance from the Deep Water Harbour in Bridgetown. The south-eastern part of the island has undergone small scale oil and gas capturing from possibly as early as 1919 when the British Union Oil Company acquired over 75% of the drilling rights in Barbados. Similar to Trinidad and Tobago to the southwest, the territorial Atlantic Ocean surrounding Barbados has been found to contain fossil fuels, however ongoing research is being conducted to give estimates of actual quantities. ==Time zone==

Barbados is in the Eastern Caribbean Time Zone. Barbados no longer observes Daylight Saving Time. It was last used between Sunday, 20 April 1980 at 2:00 AM and Thursday, 25 September 1980 at 2:00 AM. On 25 September of that year the clock was shifted from -3:00 to -4:00, where it has remained since. ==Statistics==

Location : Barbados is located east of the Caribbean Sea and the Windward Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, most directly east of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. ; Map references: : Central America and the Caribbean Area :* Total: 430 km² :* Land: 430 km² :* Water: 0 km² Area comparative :* Australia comparative: less than one-fifth of the area of the Australian Capital Territory :* Canada comparative: slightly larger than London in the Province of Ontario :* United Kingdom comparative: slightly larger than the Isle of Wight or Saint Helena :* United States comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC, about the size of San Antonio, Texas, or half the size of New York City Land boundaries : 0 km ; Coastline: : 97 km ; Maritime claims: :* Territorial sea: :* Exclusive economic zone: and Climate : Tropical; rainy season (June to October) Terrain : Relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region ; Extreme points :* Northernmost point – North Point, Saint Lucy :* Southernmost point – South Point, Silver Sands, Christ Church :* Westernmost point – Harrison Point, Saint Lucy :* Easternmost point – Kitridge Point, Saint Philip :* Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean: 0 m :* Highest point: Mount Hillaby: 336 m Natural resources : Fish, natural gas Land use :* Arable land: 25.58% :* Permanent crops: 2.33% :* Other: 72.09% (2012) ; Irrigated land: : 54.35 km² (2003) ; Total renewable water sources: : 0.08 cu km (2011) ; Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) : total: 0.1 cu km/yr (20%/26%/254) : per capita: 371.3 cu m/yr (200p) Natural hazards : Infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides; periodic flooding, from storm surge and intense rainfall events; and occasional droughts, causing fires. Environment - current issues : Pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers ; Environment - international agreements: :* Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands :* Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements ; Geography - note: : Easternmost Caribbean island == Climate ==

Barbados lies within the tropics. ==Disputes==

Guyana's and Barbados's offshore territorial claims overlap, and are also disputed with Venezuela, which itself claims ownership of the waters overlapping the first two. In 2008 Barbados sought to place the oil blocks on open market for oil exploration tender but faced a challenge by Venezuela's government in Caracas. In 2006 a local Barbadian group purporting to represent descendants of indigenous Caribbean peoples announced its claim to Culpepper Island, a small rocky outcrop on the eastern shore of Barbados. ==Oceanography==

Due to the location of Barbados far east of Windward Islands chain it possesses an expansive Exclusive Economic Zone of about extending predominantly to the east. == Notes ==