The island States which are geographically the lowest lying in the world can be found in the

Pacific Ocean (Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands) and the Indian Ocean (the Maldives).

These four States are populated by over half a million people. Together their Exclusive Economic

Zones – important for fishing and other exploration and exploitation rights – account

for over 7 million km², an area which compares to 20 times the size of Germany. Due to their

low-lying nature, these island ...