| Location |
Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka |
| Geographic coordinates |
12 30 S, 96 50 E |
| Map references |
southeast_asia |
| Area |
total: 14 sq km
note: includes the two main islands of west island and home island
water: 0 sq km
land: 14 sq km |
| Area comparative |
about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Land boundaries |
0 km |
| Coastline |
26 km |
| Maritime claims |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Climate |
tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year |
| Terrain |
flat, low-lying coral atolls |
| Elevation extremes |
lowest point: indian ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
| Natural resources |
fish |
| Land use |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001) |
| Irrigated land |
NA sq km |
| Natural hazards |
cyclone season is October to April |
| Environment - current issues |
fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs |
| Environment - international agreements |
|
| Geography note |
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation |