Mapping
Source: The Wire
Context: The Maldives has expressed its intention to terminate a bilateral agreement with India that allowed collaboration in the hydrographic survey of Maldivian territorial waters.
What is a Hydrographic Survey?
A hydrographic survey is a scientific process that involves mapping and measuring the physical features of underwater terrain. It includes the study of the depth, topography, and characteristics of the seabed and water bodies.
The decision, part of the new Maldives government’s initiatives, comes after calls for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel. The agreement, established in June 2019, aimed to enhance the Maldivian government’s capability to map coastal waters and Exclusive Economic Zone.
The new Maldives government had earlier requested the withdrawal of Indian troops from the Island Country.
The Maldives is a South Asian archipelagic state in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. Comprising 26 atolls, it is the smallest country in Asia and one of the world’s most geographically dispersed sovereign states. With a total area of about 90,000 square kilometres, including the sea, and a population of 521,021, it is the 2nd least-populous country in Asia. Malé is the capital, situated on the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, making it the world’s lowest-lying country. Inhabited for over 2,500 years, the Maldives has a rich history influenced by Islam, and European colonial powers, and achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1965.
