Maldives

Geography & Environment

• The Republic of Maldives is an archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India, comprising approximately 1,190–1,200 coral islands forming 26 natural atolls over a sea area of about 90,000 km², with just 298 km² of actual land.

• Only 200 to 220 islands are inhabited, with another ~87 islands used exclusively for tourism.

• This makes the Maldives the lowest-lying country in the world, with an average elevation of only 1.5 m above sea level and a maximum natural height around 2.4–5.1 m.

• The nation is highly vulnerable to sea-level rise and climate change: as of 2021, 90% of its islands faced severe erosion, 97% lost fresh groundwater, and over 50% of the national budget is spent on climate adaptation efforts