Bajo Nuevo Bank

Bajo Nuevo Bank
Disputed reef and islets
Image of Bajo Nuevo from the ISS
Bajo Nuevo Bank
Bajo Nuevo Bank
Bajo Nuevo Bank
Other namesPetrel Islands
Geography
LocationCaribbean Sea
Coordinates15°53′N 78°38′W / 15.883°N 78.633°W / 15.883; -78.633
Length26 km (16.2 mi)
Width9 km (5.6 mi)
Highest elevation2 m (7 ft)
Highest pointUnnamed location on Low Cay
Administration
DepartmentSan Andrés and Providencia
Claimed by
TerritoryU.S. Minor Outlying Islands
Demographics
Population0
Additional information
Time zone

Bajo Nuevo Bank (Spanish: Bajo Nuevo), also known as the Petrel Islands (Spanish: Islas Petrel), is a small, uninhabited reef with some small grass-covered islets, located in the western Caribbean Sea at 15°53′N 78°38′W / 15.883°N 78.633°W / 15.883; -78.633, with a lighthouse on Low Cay at 15°51′N 78°38′W / 15.850°N 78.633°W / 15.850; -78.633. The closest neighboring land feature is Serranilla Bank, located 110 kilometres (68 miles) to the west.

The reef is currently subject to a sovereignty dispute involving Colombia, Jamaica, and the United States. On 19 November 2012, regarding Nicaraguan claims to the islands, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found, unanimously, that the Republic of Colombia has sovereignty over both Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla Banks, although the judgment does not analyze or mention the competing claims of Jamaica or the United States.