Grenada: Physical Geography

Grenada is a small volcanic island nation in the southeastern Caribbean, lying in the Lesser Antilles about 100 miles (160 km) north of Venezuela. The main island covers roughly 310 square kilometers (120 square miles) and is oval in shape, measuring about 34 kilometers (21 miles) in length and 19 kilometers (12 miles) in width. Grenada's dependencies include Carriacou and Petite Martinique, part of the southern Grenadines, bringing the country's total land area to about 344 square kilometers (133 square miles). The coastline stretches roughly 121 kilometers (75 miles), and the capital, St. George's, sits on a natural harbor on the southwestern coast.

The island's terrain is dominated by a volcanic mountain ridge running north to south, with steeper slopes on the western side and a more gradual descent to the east. Mount St. Catherine, the highest point at about 840 meters (2,756 feet), rises in the northern interior. Deep, steep-sided valleys cut through the landscape, and Grand Etang, a crater lake formed in an extinct volcano, sits at an elevation of roughly 530 meters (1,740 feet). Kick 'em Jenny, an underwater volcano off Grenada's northern coast, remains the only known active volcano in the area.

Grenada has a tropical climate moderated by northeast trade winds, with average temperatures near 28°C (82°F) year-round. Rainfall varies sharply with elevation, from about 1,500 millimeters (59 inches) annually along the coast to more than 3,500 millimeters (138 inches) in the mountainous interior. The wet season runs from June through December. Grenada's forests, fertile volcanic soils, and natural harbors support its agriculture and tourism sectors, while its position south of the main hurricane track has historically offered some, though not complete, protection from major storms.