Maldives

The **Maldives** are a group of islands in the Indian Ocean. They are southwest of India. They are made up of the Maldive and Suadive archipelagos, with over 1,200 islands. These islands are a part of 26 atolls. And they are divided to 20 administrative atolls. People live on about 200 of the islands. It has more than 1126 coral reefs. It is the flattest country in the world. The highest point in the Maldives is only  high above the level of the sea.

Malé is the capital, with a population of 150,000 people. Its official religion is Islam.

## Climate

The Maldives has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the Köppen climate classification, which is affected by the large landmass of South Asia to the north. Because the Maldives has the lowest elevation of any country in the world, the temperature is constantly hot and often humid. The presence of this landmass causes differential heating of land and water. These factors set off a rush of moisture-rich air from the Indian Ocean over South Asia, resulting in the southwest monsoon. Two seasons dominate Maldives' weather: the dry season associated with the winter northeastern monsoon and the rainy season which brings strong winds and storms.

The shift from the dry northeast monsoon to the moist southwest monsoon occurs during April and May. During this period, the southwest winds contribute to the formation of the southwest monsoon, which reaches Maldives in the beginning of June and lasts until the end of August. However, the weather patterns of Maldives do not always conform to the monsoon patterns of South Asia. The annual rainfall averages  in the north and  in the south.

The monsoonal influence is greater in the north of the Maldives than in the south, more influenced by the equatorial currents.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Malé was 39.6 °C (103.3 °F) on 1 January 2000 and the lowest was 20.4 °C (68.7 °F) on 20 March 1989 and 21 January 2017.

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: Republic of Maldives
- **common name**: Maldives
- **native name**:
 <small>_Dhivehi Raa'jeyge Jumhooriyya_</small>
- **image flag**: Flag of Maldives.svg
- **image coat**: Emblem of Maldives.svg
- **symbol type**: Emblem
- **national anthem**: __

- **image map**: Maldives (orthographic projection).svg
- **map caption**: Location of Maldives in the Indian Ocean
- **image map2**: Maldives - Location Map (2013) - MDV - UNOCHA.svg
- **capital**: Malé
- **largest city**: Malé
- **official languages**: *Maldivian language, Dhivehi (Maldivian)
*English language, English
- **ethnic groups**: ≈100% Maldivians<sup>a</sup>
- **ethnic groups year**: 2011
- **demonym**: Maldivian
- **government type**: Unitary state, Unitary Presidential system, presidential constitutional republic
- **leader title1**: President of the Maldives, President
- **leader name1**: Mohamed Muizzu
- **leader title2**: Vice President of the Maldives, Vice President
- **leader name2**: Hussain Mohamed Latheef
- **leader title3**: People's Majlis#List of speakers, Speaker
- **leader name3**: Mohamed Aslam (member of parliament), Mohamed Aslam
- **leader title4**: Chief Justice
- **leader name4**: Ahmed Muthasim Adnan
- **legislature**: People's Majlis, People's _Majlis_
- **sovereignty type**: Independence
- **established event1**: from the United Kingdom
- **established date1**: 26 July 1965
- **established date2**: 7 August 2008
- **area km2**: 298
- **area rank**: 187th
- **area sq mi**: 115
- **percent water**: 99%
- **population census**: 341,356
- **population estimate rank**: 175th
- **population census year**: 2014
- **population density km2**: 1,102.5
- **population density sq mi**: 2,855.4
- **population density rank**: 11th
- **gdp ppp**: $7.396 billion
- **gdp ppp year**: 2018
- **gdp ppp rank**: 162nd
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $20,228
- **gdp ppp per capita rank**: 69th
- **gdp nominal**: $4.825 billion
- **gdp nominal year**: 2018
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $13,196
- **gini**: 37.4
- **gini year**: 2005–2013
- **hdi**: 0.706
- **hdi year**: 2014
- **hdi change**: increase
- **hdi rank**: 103rd
- **currency**: Maldivian rufiyaa
- **currency code**: MVR
- **time zone**: Time in the Maldives, Maldives Time
- **utc offset**: +5
- **date format**: dd/mm/yy
- **drives on**: Left- and right-hand traffic, left
- **calling code**: +960
- **cctld**: .mv
- **footnote a**: Excluding foreign nationals.