Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
20 17 S, 57 33 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline: Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
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
country comparison to the world: 181
land:
2,030 sq km
water:
10 sq km
note:
includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
177 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
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
highest point:
Mont Piton 828 m
arable land, fish
arable land:
38.24%
permanent crops:
1.96%
other:
59.8% (2011)
212.2 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
2.75 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
0.73 cu km/yr (30%/3%/68%)
per capita:
568.2 cu m/yr (2003)
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; former 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