Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
20 17 S, 57 33 E
Map references:
Africa
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 2,040 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 181
land: 2,030 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 10 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
177 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)
More Climate Details
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Mont Piton 828 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]
arable land, fish
arable land: 49.02%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 2.94%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 48.04% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
210 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
2.2 cu km (2001)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total: 0.61 cu km/yr (25%/14%/60%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 488 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
water pollution, degradation of coral reefs
party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species