Maldives
Malé · South Asia
Maldives is a country in Asia. Its capital city is Malé, the official currency is the Maldivian Rufiyaa, and the main language is Dhivehi.
With a population of roughly 520,000 people spread over 300 km², Maldives is the 168th most populous country in the world and the 187th largest by area. That works out at about 1,733 people per square kilometre.
Maldives has no land borders with any other country. Its largest urban centres are Malé, Addu City and Fuvahmulah. The highest point in the country is unnamed point on Villingili, at 5 metres.
For scale, Malta is the closest country in the world to Maldives in both area and population.
- Capital
- Malé
- Region
- South Asia
- Population
- 520,000
- Area
- 300 km²
- Currency
- Maldivian Rufiyaa
- Main language
- Dhivehi
- Highest point
- unnamed point on Villingili
5 m - Land borders
- 0
Maldives: things worth knowing
- The Maldives is the lowest-lying country in the world, averaging about 1.5 metres above sea level.
- It consists of roughly 1,200 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls, with fewer than 200 inhabited.
- In 2009 the cabinet held a meeting underwater to draw attention to rising sea levels.
Maldives in context
Asia has 48 sovereign countries in total. Maldives ranks 47th among them by population.
See the full list of Asia countries, or browse all 195 countries.