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: 300 sq km
land: 300 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
exclusive economic zone: 35-310 nm as defined by geographic coordinates; segment of zone coincides with maritime boundary with India
territorial sea: 12 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 Wilingili 24 m

Natural resources fish

Land use
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 84% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards low level of islands makes them very sensitive to sea level rise

Environment - current issues depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls; archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

NOTE: The information regarding Maldives on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Maldives Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Maldives Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.