Geography of Grenada

Grenada - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image

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.

The Grenadian climate is tropical, tempered by northeast trade winds.

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.

Area

• Total: 348.5 km²
• Land: 344 km²

Maritime claims

• Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
• Exclusive economic zone: 27,426 km² (10,589.2 sq mi) and 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

Extreme points

• Northernmost point – Gun Point, Carriacou
• Northernmost point (Grenada only) - Tanga Langue, Saint Patrick Parish
• Easternmost point – east coast of Petite Martinique island
• Easternmost point (Grenada only) - Artiste Point, Saint Andrew Parish
• Southernmost point – Glover Island, Saint George Parish
• Southernmost point (Grenada only) - Prickly Point, Saint George Parish
• Westernmost point – Point Salines, Saint George Parish
• Highest point – Mount Saint Catherine: 840 m
• Lowest point – Caribbean Sea: 0 m

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)

• Grenadines
• List of cities in Grenada
• List of islands of Grenada
• List of rivers of Grenada
• List of volcanoes in Grenada
• Parishes of Grenada

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies website http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/.
•  This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geography of Grenada.

• Grenada travel guide from Wikivoyage