The Maldives is an independent island country located in the north-central Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, approximately 750 kilometers (470 miles) from the Asian continent's mainland
. The country consists of a chain of about 1,200 small coral islands grouped into 26 atolls, stretching over 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and about 80 to 120 miles (130 km) from east to west
. Geographically, the Maldives is situated roughly between latitudes 3°15’N and 7°09’N and longitudes 72°32’E and 73°45’E, with its capital city Malé located on the North Malé Atoll
. The islands are low-lying coral atolls, with an average elevation of about 1.5 meters above sea level, making it the world's lowest-lying country
. In summary, the Maldives is a tropical archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Indian subcontinent, known for its dispersed islands and coral atolls.
