The Maldives has a natural maximum elevation of only 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) above sea level. The problem is that sea levels over the past 100 years are rising at a rate of approximately 9.75 inches (20 centimeters) per year, which may make the country, or parts of it, disappear entirely. The 2004 Asian tsunami caused the ocean to completely cover parts of the Maldives.