Geography

Geography

Curaçao is located in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea just off the Venezuelan coast.

Together with Bonaire and Aruba the three islands form the Leeward Islands, often referred to as the ABC-Islands. Curaçao is the largest island of the ABC-islands.

The country of Curaçao includes the main island with an area of approximately 171 miles²/444 kilometers² (38 miles long, 9 miles wide) and the small island Klein Curacao (Little Curacao). Klein Curacao is an uninhabited island situated ten kilometers to the southeast off the coast of Curacao. The highest point of Curacao is the Mt. St. Christoffelberg 375 m (1,230 ft) above sea level and lies in the reserved wildlife park.

Curaçao, as part of the Leeward Islands, is characterized by its tropical climate. The dry season runs from February through June, whereas the rain season starts in October and ends in January. The average annual precipitation is 560 mm (22 inches). The average maximum temperature is 31.5° C (88.7 °F). The average minimum temperature is 25.9° C (78.6 °F). Curaçao lies outside the hurricane belt but is still occasionally affected by hurricanes. The latest hurricanes were Cesar in 1996, Felix in 2007, Omar in 2008, and Tomas in 2010.

Location