Bassas da India Geography Profile 2006

Location

Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 39 50 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 0.2 sq km
land: 0.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

35.2 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical

Terrain

volcanic rock

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 2.4 m

Natural resources

none

Land use

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (all rock) (2005)

Irrigated land

0 sq km

Natural hazards

maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones

Environment - current issues

NA

Geography - note

the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano