Part 458

Radio broadcast stations: AM 28, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: 8.08 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 33

Televisions: 2 million (1993 est.)

Defense -------

Branches: Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force, Marine Police, Sarawak Border Scouts

Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 5,160,884 males fit for military service: 3,129,626 males reach military age (21) annually: 184,236 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, 2.9% of GDP (1995)

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@Maldives --------

Map ---

Location: 3 15 N, 73 00 E -- Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India

Flag ----

Description: red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag

Geography ---------

Location: Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India

Geographic coordinates: 3 15 N, 73 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total area: 300 sq km land area: 300 sq km comparative area: nearly twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 644 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 35-310 nm as defined by geographic coordinates; segment of zone coincides with maritime boundary with India territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Terrain: flat lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Wilingili 24 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 3% other: 84%

Irrigated land: NA sq km