
The Maldives, also known as the Maldive Islands, is an independent island nation in the northern Indian Ocean. It is composed of an atoll-like network of roughly 1,200 tiny coral islands and sandbanks (200 of which are inhabited).
More than 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west are covered by the islands. The central region, which includes the capital island of Male (Male'), is roughly 400 miles (645 km) southwest of Sri Lanka. The northernmost atoll is roughly 370 miles (600 km) south-southwest of the Indian peninsula.
The Maldives Islands are a group of coral atolls created from the tops of an ancient volcanic mountain range submerged. Every island is low-lying. A maximum of 6 feet (1.8 metres) above sea level is reached by none. Islands are shielded from the damaging impacts of monsoons by barrier reefs. The southwest monsoon, which brings rain from May to August, is followed by the northeast monsoon, which brings mild winds and dry conditions from December to March. The average temperature is between 24 and 30 °C (76 to 86 °F). The annual average rainfall is roughly 84 inches (2,130 mm). Sand beaches, lagoons, lush vegetation of coconut palms, breadfruit trees, and tropical shrubs may all be found on the atolls. The reefs, lagoons, and waters surrounding the islands are abundant with fish, and sea turtles are harvested for food and their oil, which is used in traditional medicine.
Nearly all of the Maldivian people who live there are citizens. This ethnic group emerged due to several people migrating to the islands during the nation's history. It is generally accepted that the initial inhabitants were Tamil and Sinhalese from southern India and Sri Lanka. Through the years, traders from Arab nations, Malaya, Madagascar, Indonesia, and China, visited the islands. Arabic, Hindi, and English are also spoken in addition to Dhivehi, the official Indo-European language of the Maldives. Islam is the official faith.
The Maldives' economy has grown considerably since the 1970s. The gross national income (GNI) per capita, which was among the lowest in the world in the 1970s, rose to the level of upper-middle-income nations by 2010, and the annual growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) has been rapid, averaging approximately 6 per cent in the 2010s. The tourism industry has seen considerable expansion, and the economy is centred on fishing, boatbuilding, and boat maintenance.