Maldives

The Republic of Maldives has a little problem. They expect their island nation, which consists of 1,192 islets in the Indian Ocean, to disappear underwater if global climate change is not checked. Their president has brought the issue to international attention many times over the last 20 years, most recently at the United Nations climate change summit in September, and has just had a meeting with his Cabinet under 16 feet of water to draw attention to their problem. The Maldives is the lowest country on the planet, with an average ground level of 4' 11" above sea level and a high point of only 7' 7". They have tried to set the example by becoming the first country to go carbon neutral, but have begun to despair. "We in the Maldives desperately want to believe that one day our words will have an effect, and so we continue to shout them, even though, deep down we know that you are not really listening," said President Mohammad Nasheed. They are currently setting aside revenue from tourism to purchase land in another country - possibly Sri Lanka or Australia - where they can relocate when the time comes.