Location:
archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Environment - current issues: Geography - note:
total: 54,400 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 128
land:
60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km
water:
54,340 sq km
note:
includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
698 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point:
unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
coconuts, fish, sugarcane
arable land: 0%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
0%
other:
100% (2005)
0 sq km
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
NA
archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility