Introduction
The Maldives were long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. They became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.
Location
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Geographic coordinates
3 15 N, 73 00 E
Area - comparative
about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Maritime claims
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM
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 island in the Addu Atoll 2.4 m
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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
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
Population
339,330 (July 2004 est.)