The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives,
and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is a country
and archipelagic state in South Asia in the Indian Ocean.[10]
The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750
kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian
continent’s mainland. The Maldives’ chain of 26 atolls stretches
across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to
Addu Atoll in the south.
The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia. Including the sea,
the territory spans roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi),
with a land area of 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi). The Maldives
is one of the world’s most geographically dispersed sovereign states,
and the smallest Muslim country by land area. With a population of
515,132 in the 2022 census, it is the 2nd least populous country in
Asia and the ninth-smallest country in the world by area. Malé is
the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the
“King’s Island”, where the ancient royal dynasties ruled from its
central location. The Maldivian Archipelago is located on
the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, a vast submarine mountain range in
the Indian Ocean; this also forms a terrestrial ecoregion
with the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep.[12] The Maldives
has an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in)
above sea level, and a highest natural point of only 2.4
metres (7 ft 10 in), making it the world’s lowest-lying country.
Some sources state the highest point, Mount Villingili, as 5.1 metres or 17 feet.
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