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Maldives Geography 2013
http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/maldives/maldives_geography.html
SOURCE: 2013 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK AND OTHER SOURCES
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Page last updated on February 5, 2013

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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 210
land: 298 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
644 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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)
More Climate Details

Terrain:
flat, with white sandy beaches

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: unnamed location on Viligili in the Addu Atholhu 2.4 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 13.33%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 30%
other: 56.67% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
0.03 cu km (1999)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.003 cu km/yr (98%/2%/0%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
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


NOTE: The information regarding Maldives on this page is re-published from the 2013 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Maldives Geography 2013 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Maldives Geography 2013 should be addressed to the CIA.


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