Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry
from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Piton des Neiges 3,069 m
Natural resources: fish, arable land, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 13.6% permanent crops: 1.2% other: 85.2% (2001)
Irrigated land:
120 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
periodic, devastating cyclones (December to April); Piton de la
Fournaise on the southeastern coast is an active volcano
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
this mountainous, volcanic island has an active volcano, Piton de
la Fournaise; there is a tropical cyclone center at Saint-Denis,
which is the monitoring station for the whole of the Indian Ocean