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Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching along north-south direction off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago. It stands in the Laccadive Sea, about seven hundred kilometres (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka.

The atolls of Maldives encompass a territory spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most disparate countries in the world. It features 1,192 islets, of which two hundred islands are inhabited. The Republic of Maldives capital and largest city is Malé, with a population of 103,693 (2006). It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll, in the Kaafu Atoll. It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where the palace was located.

The original inhabitants of the Maldives were Buddhist, probably since Ashoka's period,^{[citation needed]} in the 300 BC. Islam in Maldives was introduced in 1153 and has remained dominant since, being the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world. During the period of European exploration and colonialism, the Maldives came under the influence of the Portuguese in 1558 and the Dutch in 1654. In 1887 the islands became a British protectorate. In 1965 the country obtained independence from Britain under the name "Maldive Islands". Three years later the reigning Islamic Sultanate was replaced by a quasi-Islamic presidential Republic; in 2008, submission to the Islamic faith became a legal requirement for citizens.

The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in both population and area. With an average ground level of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is the lowest country on the planet. It is also the country with the lowest highest point in the world, at 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in).