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

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

Land boundaries:
0 km

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

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]

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:
mean elevation: 1.8 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: 8th tee, golf course, Villingi Island 5 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
agricultural land: 23.3% arable land 10%; permanent crops 10%; permanent pasture 3.3%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 3%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 73.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
about a third of the population lives in the centrally located capital city of Male and almost a tenth in southern Addu City; the remainder of the populace is spread over the 200 or so populated islands of the archipelago

Natural hazards:
tsunamis; low elevation of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise

Environment - current issues:
depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; 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:
smallest Asian country; archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean