Maldives officially the Republic of Maldives, is an archipelagic country in the Indian subcontinent of Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometers (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian continent’s mainland. The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south (across the Equator). Comprising a territory spanning roughly 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 sq. mi) including the sea, land area of all the islands comprises 298 square kilometers (115 sq. mi), Maldives is one of the world’s most geographically dispersed sovereign states the smallest Asian country as well as one of the smallest Muslim countries by land area and, with around 557,751 inhabitants, the 2nd least populous country in Asia. Male is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the “King’s Island” where the ancient royal dynasties ruled for its central location.
