Maldives
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Officially Republic of Maldives also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago. It stands in the Laccadive Sea, about 700 kilometres south-west of Sri Lanka and 400 kilometres south-west of India. The atolls of the Maldives encompass a territory spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres, making it one of the world's most dispersed countries in geographic terms. Its population of 313,920 (2010) inhabits 200 of its 1,192 islands. Maldives capital and largest city Malé has a population of 103,693 (2006).
The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in both population and land area. With an average ground level of 1.5 metres above sea level, it is the planet's lowest country. It is also the country with the lowest highest point in the world, at 2.3 metres.
The Indian Ocean acts as a heat buffer, absorbing, storing, and slowly releasing the tropical heat. The temperature of Maldives ranges between 24 °C and 33 °C throughout the year. Although the humidity is relatively high, the constant cool sea breezes keep the air moving and the heat mitigated.
