Maldives,
an island country, consists of 1192
beautiful coral islands spread over
26 natural atolls. It is one of the
smallest countries in Asia located
in the Indian Ocean.
The location of Maldives is unique.
The country lies on the Indian Ocean
south of India’s Lakshadweep
islands. It is located west of Sri
Lanka and extends up to 823 kilometers.
It is essentially a group of islands
located near the equator. This explains
the hot and humid climate in the
country. Maldives is located between
latitudes of 4 degree-17 North and
longitude 73 degrees-50 east. The
islands are located north of the
equator.
Of the 1192 islands, only 200 of
them are inhabited. The islands
are lowlands and none of them rise
above sea level in ancient times,
the country was a major trading
centre, because it was located on
the maritime trade route on Indian
Ocean.
Maldives occupies an area which
is just over 1.5 times the size
of Washington, DC The country has
a total coastline of 644 km northeast
of the atoll located around110 km
south of India 's Minicoy Atoll,
480 km south of India 's Cape Comorin
and 649 km west of Sri Lanka. Male,
the capital, is located on the largest
island in the atoll of Male. The
island is almost 2.5 square kilometers
and is the largest in the entire
chain.
Maldives has a warm climate. Its
location near the equator makes
the island have a sunny climate
throughout the year.
