Geography ofMaldives
Location: Southern Asia, groupatolls inIndian Ocean, south-southwestIndia.
The Maldive islands stretch fromsouthern tipIndia down toequator. There1,196 islands spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometers ofIndian Ocean, making this one ofmost disparate countries inworld.
Geographic coordinates: 3 15 N, 73 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total:
300 sq km
land:
300 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 644 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (NovemberMarch); rainy, southwest monsoon (JuneAugust)
Terrain: flat,white sandy beaches
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point:
unnamed location on Wilingili island inAddu Atoll 2.4 m (the Maldives areflattest country inworld).
Natural resources: fish
Land use:
arable land:
10%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
3%
forestswoodland:
3%
other:
84% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: low levelislands makes them very sensitivesea level rise
Environment - current issues: depletionfreshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warmingsea level rise; coral reef bleaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
Law ofSea
Geography - note: 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islandstourist resorts); archipelagostrategic location astridealong major sea lanesIndian Ocean.
The biggest island ofMaldivesFuvahmulah, which issingle islandsingle atoll located insouthern part ofMaldives knownGanaviyani atoll. In Addu atoll most ofislandsconnected by roads overreef andtotal length ofroad12 km.
- See also : Maldives
