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Location:
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Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
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Geographic coordinates:
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10 30 S, 105 40 E
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Map references:
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southeast asia
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Area:
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total: 135 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 135 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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80 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April
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Terrain:
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steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
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Natural resources:
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phosphate, beaches
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100%
note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Geography - note:
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located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
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