Where are the Maldives on the world map?
The Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka. Here are the checked numbers: where it is, how big it is and what is on the map.
Where it is
- The Maldives is an archipelagic country in South Asia, in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka and about 750 km from the Asian mainland.
- It lies roughly between 1° S and 8° N and between 72° E and 74° E, so it straddles the equator at its southern end. Time in the Maldives
- The archipelago stretches about 871 km north to south and about 130 km east to west.
How big it is
- There are 26 atolls with 1,192 coral islands, spread over roughly 90,000 km² of sea. The land area is only 298 km². The ocean around the Maldives
- The capital and largest city is Malé. The 2022 census counted 515,132 people.
- The highest natural point is 2.4 m above sea level, and the average elevation is about 1.5 m. More than 80% of the land is less than 1 m above sea level.
What this means for a trip
- The islands are small and far apart, so travel between them is by boat or seaplane. For our island, the speedboat leaves Malé airport at 16:00 daily except Friday and costs USD 35 each way.
- Because the land is so low, sea level matters here. Will the Maldives go under water
- Send us your arrival details and we will help with the transfer.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the Maldives?
In the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka, about 750 km from the Asian mainland.
Which continent are the Maldives in?
Wikipedia describes it as an archipelagic country in South Asia.
How many islands are there?
1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls.
How big is the Maldives?
About 298 km² of land, spread over roughly 90,000 km² of sea.
What is the capital?
Malé, which is also the largest city.
Reviewed by the Relax Residence team in October 2026.
