Located in the center of the Lesser Antilles arc to the south of Dominica and north of Saint Lucia, Martinique covers a total area of 668 square miles (1,075 km²). Its coastline of 217 miles (350 km) is made up of three distinct environments: sandy coves, muddy coves, and 56 miles (90 km) of cliffs dependent on different morpho-geological structures. The heterogeneity of these formations is at the origin of the ecosystem diversity of the coast. They are circumscribed at sea by coral flats of three types: fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and non-bio-constructive formations.