The Island Of Maldives Maldives or the Republic of Maldives is part of the Island Nations of Indian Ocean
. It sits on the Laccadive Sea roughly seven miles south- west of Sri-Lanka. The nation's capital is called Male and has a population of about 105,000 people. It's the smallest Asian country both in population and area. It used to be ruled by a king and used to bee known as the King's Island and contained the royal dynasties where power was exercised. Maldives has some of the best coral reefs in the world. However it rises about 1.5 metres above seas level and considered the lowest country on the planet. The country however doesn't disappoint in terms of beauty. It has around 1,190 coral islands grouped in what is called the chain of 26 atolls. The atolls are composed of coral reefs and sand bars and re situated above a submarine ridge that's 960 kilometres long and rises from the depths of the Indian Ocean. The government however reorganized these atolls to 21 so that they could be well administered. Maldives waters support a lot of marine life. The islands have very diverse ecosystems but attract most visitors due to the beautiful coral reefs. The area is home to over 300 species of fish. Most of the species are new and haven't been classified scientifically. The islands have more species like turtles, sea grasses, crustaceans, alga and sponges and tunicates. The area also a have a lot whale sharks. Visitors access the nation through Male International Airport that's located at Hunule Island that is just next to Male.