The
Republic of Maldives is an Indian Ocean archipelago located 600 km south of
India extending from 0 degree 42 minutes 24 seconds south of the equator to 7 degrees
6 minutes 35 seconds north. It consists of 1192 islands forming a chain, scattered
across 820 km in length and a maximum of 120 km in width within an area of 90,000
sq km. The Exclusive Economic Zone of the Maldives extends over an area of 859,000
sq km. For administrative purposes, the 26 natural atolls of the Maldives have
been classified into 20 groups, each of which is referred to as an "atoll".
The
islands are low lying with an average elevation of 1.6 m above main sea level.
Few of the islands have a land area in excess of one square km and only 200 islands
are inhabited. The capital Male' with an area of about 2 sq. km. accommodates 27%
of the country's population of 270,101. The total land area is estimated to be 300
sq. km of which only 10% are suitable for agriculture.
The
climate is tropical: warm and humid, with two pronounced monsoon seasons. Daily
temperatures vary little throughout the year. The average maximum temperature
is 31° Celsius and the average minimum temperature is 26° Celsius. Relative
humidity ranges from 73% to 85%. Average annual rainfall in the period 2010 to
2015 was 2040 mm. Monthly variations in rainfall are significant, ranging from
22 mm in March to 258 mm in September.
Founded: July 26, 1965
Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
Population: 345,023 (2013) World Bank
No comments:
Post a Comment