Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 183,928 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $2.1 billion (1998)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2.1% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Philippines have not fully revoked claim to Sabah State; two islands in dispute with Singapore; two islands in dispute with Indonesia
Illicit drugs: transit point for some illicit drugs going to Western markets; drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties
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@Maldives ————
Geography
Location: Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India