ngapore's land
reclamation, bridge construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra
Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist - parties agree to ICJ
arbitration on island dispute within three years; ICJ awarded
Ligitan and Sipadan islands off the coast of Sabah, also claimed by
Indonesia and Philippines, to Malaysia; a 1 kilometer segment at the
mouth of the Golok River remains in dispute with Thailand;
Philippines retains a now dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in
northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the
Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue the Sultanate's
sovereignty claim; in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil
exploration in their offshore and deepwater seabeds until
negotiations progress to an agreement over allocation of disputed
areas; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in
dispute

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

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Maldives

Introduction Maldives

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. Since 1978, President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
- currently in his sixth term in office - has dominated the island's
political scene. Following riots in the capital Male in August 2004,
the president and his government have pledged to embark upon
democratic reforms, including a more representative political system
and expanded political freedoms. Tourism and fishing are being
developed on the archipelago.

Geography Maldives

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
water: 0 sq km
land: 300 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 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:
fl