Maldives, an island country, consists of 1,192 beautiful coral islands spread across 26 natural atolls. It is one of the smallest Asian countries located in the Indian Ocean.
The location of Maldives is unique. The country is located on the Indian Ocean to the south of India's Lakshwadeep Islands. It is located to the west of Sri Lanka and extends upto 823 kilometers. It is basically a group of islands situated close to the equator. This accounts for the hot and humid climate of the country. Maldives lies between latitudes 4 degree- 17 North and longitudes 73 degree- 50 East. The islands are located to the north of the Equator.
Out of the 1192 islands, only 200 of them are inhabited. The islands are lowlands and none of them rise 6' above sea level. In ancient times, the country was a major trade center because it was located on the marine trade route on the Indian Ocean.
Maldives occupies an area, which is slightly more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C. The country has a total coastline of 644 km the northernmost atoll is located around110 km south of India's Minicoy Atoll, 480 km southeast of India's Cape Comorin and 649 km west of Sri Lanka. Male, the capital of the country, is located on the largest island in the Male Atoll. The island measuring nearly 2.5 square kilometers is the largest in the entire chain.
Maldives Location accounts for its hot climate. Its location close to the Equator clearly points out to the sun shining over for most part of the year.
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