The Maldives is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. It consists of a chain of about 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls, stretching across approximately 800 kilometers from north to south along the equator
. The Maldives lies about 750 kilometers (470 miles) from the Asian continent's mainland, positioned roughly between latitudes 3°15′N and 7°09′N and longitudes 72°32′E and 73°45′E
. This archipelagic nation is the smallest country in Asia by land area, with only about 298 square kilometers of land spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometers of ocean territory, making it one of the most spatially dispersed countries in the world
. The capital city, Malé, is located on the North Malé Atoll
. In summary, the Maldives islands are situated in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Indian subcontinent, forming a dispersed chain of coral islands along the equator.
