lar figure: $1.69 billion (FY00 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.03% (FY00)

Malaysia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: involved in a complex dispute over the
Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and
possibly Brunei; Philippines have not fully revoked claim to Sabah
State; Pulau Batu Putih (Pedra Branca Island) disputed with
Singapore; Sipadan and Ligitan Islands in dispute with Indonesia

Illicit drugs: transit point for some illicit drugs; drug
trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties

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@Maldives

Maldives Introduction

Background: 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.

Maldives Geography

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: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

contiguous zone: 24 NM

exclusive economic zone: 200 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

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; 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
inhabite