Maldives:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of the Maldives:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Since 1978, President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM - currently in his sixth term in office - has dominated the islands' political scene. Following riots in the capital Male in August 2004, the president and his government pledged to embark upon democratic reforms including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Progress has been slow, however, and many promised reforms have been slow to come to fruition. Nonetheless, political parties were legalized in 2005. A constituent assembly - termed the "special majlis" - has pledged to complete the drafting of a new constitution by the end of 2007 and first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system are slated for November 2008. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.

Location	Definition Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Geographic coordinates	Definition 3 15 N, 73 00 E
Map references	Definition Asia
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 300 sq km land: 300 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries	Definition 0 km
Coastline	Definition 644 km
Maritime claims	Definition measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	Definition tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Terrain	Definition flat, with white sandy beaches
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m
Natural resources	Definition fish
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 13.33% permanent crops: 30% other: 56.67% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition NA
Total renewable water resources	Definition 0.03 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 0.003 cu km/yr (98%/2%/0%) per capita: 9 cu m/yr (1987)
Natural hazards	Definition low level of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise
Environment - current issues	Definition depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; global warming and sea level rise; coral reef bleaching
Environment - international agreements	Definition 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	Definition 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

Maldives: Geography

Maldives:
Geography