The Maldives, officially referred to as the Republic of Maldives and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is a country and archipelagic state located in South Asia within the Indian Ocean.The Maldives is located to the southwest of Sri Lanka and India, approximately 750 kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) away from the mainland of the Asian continent. The Maldives consists of a series of 26 atolls that extend from the northernmost Ihavandhippolhu Atoll to the southernmost Addu Atoll, spanning the equator.
The Maldives is the most diminutive nation in Asia. The territory covers approximately 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 square miles), including both land and sea. The land area alone is 298 square kilometres (115 square miles). The Maldives is a sovereign state that is widely spread out geographically and has the smallest land area among Muslim countries. According to the 2022 census, this country has a population of 515,132, making it the second least populous country in Asia and the ninth smallest country in the world in terms of land area. Malé, the capital and largest city, has historically been referred to as the “King’s Island” due to its central location and status as the seat of power for ancient royal dynasties. The Maldivian Archipelago is situated on the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge, an extensive underwater mountain range in the Indian Ocean. This ridge also creates a terrestrial ecoregion together with the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep. The Maldives has an average ground-level elevation of 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in) above sea level. Its highest natural point is only 2.4 meters (7 ft 10 in), making it the country with the lowest elevation in the world. According to certain sources, Mount Villingili, the highest point, is recorded as being 5.1 meters or 17 feet in elevation.