| Geography | Maldives |
 = Fields  = World Records  = Dictionary  = Bar graph  = Distribution map  = Fields History  = Definitions |
|
|
|
|
|
Location:
|
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India |
Geographic coordinates:
|
3 15 N, 73 00 E |
Map references:
|
Asia |
Area:
|
total: 298 sq km
land: 298 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative:
|
about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
Coastline:
|
644 km |
Maritime claims:
|
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate:
|
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) |
Terrain:
|
flat, with white sandy beaches |
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Viligili in the Addu Atholhu 2.4 m |
Natural resources:
|
fish |
Land use:
|
arable land: 13.33%
permanent crops: 30%
other: 56.67% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
|
NA |
Total renewable water resources:
|
0.03 cu km (1999) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
|
76 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
total: 0.003 cu km/yr (98%/2%/0%)
per capita: 9 cu m/yr (1987) |
Natural hazards:
|
tsunamis; low elevation of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise |
Environment - current issues:
|
depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching |
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
|
1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean |
|
= Fields = World Records = Dictionary = Bar graph = Distribution map = Fields History = Definitions |
|
Home 
Geographic Names
Chiefs of State
Intl. Organizations
Intl. Environmental Agree.
Other References
