Geography of Barbuda
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Barbuda is one of the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, located north of Antigua, southeast of Saint Barthélemy, and northeast of Sint Eustatius and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The island is one of the most sparsely populated in the Caribbean and is mostly covered by the untouched Leeward Islands xeric scrub.[1] It is one of the larger islands of the Leewards and is the second largest island in Antigua and Barbuda. In the island's west, there is Codrington Lagoon, the largest lagoon in the Antilles.[2] Barbuda is a very flat island, with the lowest point being at sea level and the highest point being in the Barbuda Highlands, a large plateau along the island's east coast. To the island's west is the calm Caribbean Sea and to the east is the rough North Atlantic.[3]
Barbuda is considered to be the northeasternmost island in the Caribbean.[4] Barbuda is technically a chain of several islands, with the northwestern portion of the island being a complex network of large flat islands including Goat Island, Kid Island and Rabbit Island.[5][6][7] Barbuda is a limestone island dotted with caves, being formed around a now-extinct volcano atop the Barbuda Bank.[8] Barbuda is 161 square kilometres in area (about 62 square miles), being fourteen miles long and nine miles wide. Barbuda is about 25 miles from the nearest island, Antigua. Barbuda has a tropical savanna climate. The northernmost point in Barbuda is Goat Point on Goat Island, the southernmost point is Coco Point, the westernmost point is Cedar Tree Point, and the easternmost point along the eastern coast.[9]
There are four geological formations on the island, the Palmetto Point formation, the Codrington formation, the Beazer formation, and the Highlands formation. The Palmetto Point formation has several post-Pleistocene sand accumulations. The Beazer formation covers the centre of the island about 7 metres above sea level. The Codrington formation is noted for its well-preserved mollusk and coral fossils. The Highlands formation has several caves including Darby Cave and Dark Cave.[8] The island has several bays including Coral Group Bay, Two Foot Bay, Gravenor Bay, and Low Bay. Major bodies of water include Bull Hole in the central-south and the Salt Pond, a salt flat found in the southeast.[10]
The island is noted for its biological diversity and is home to several endemic species including the Barbuda warbler and Barbuda Bank tree anole. The Codrington Lagoon Magnificent Frigate Bird Sanctuary is the second largest nesting site for frigatebirds in the world. Deer are also found on the island due to introduction by the Codrington family.[11]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Leeward Islands xeric scrub". World Wildlife Federation. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ↑ "The Leewards". The New York Times. 20 December 1964. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
The Leeward Islands, a cluster of isles in the Caribbean under United States, British, Dutch and French flags, are strung out in a 400-mile‐long arc between Puerto Rico and Martinique. The group takes its name from the geographic fact that it is farther from the direct route of the rain‐carrying northeasterly trade winds than the neighboring Windward Islands. One of the islands, Dominica, is geographically part of the Leewards but, since 1940, has been politically and administratively part of the British Windward Islands.
- ↑ "About Antigua and Barbuda". ab.gov.ag. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ↑ "Hope and Opportunity on the Beautiful Island of Barbuda". Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
- ↑ "MPAtlas » Goat Island Flash Sanctuary". old.mpatlas.org. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ "Antigua & Barbuda's 2015-2020 National Action Plan: Combatting Desertification, Land Degradation & Drought" (PDF).
- ↑ "Districts of Barbuda".[dead link]
- 1 2 The stratigraphy of Barbuda, West Indies
- ↑ "Antigua and Barbuda | History, Geography, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
- ↑ Future Barbuda Vol. 3 (PDF).
- ↑ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14614103.2017.1349027
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