The Maldives (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ Dhivehi Raajje) are an archipelago of 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts) in the Indian Ocean.They lie south-southwest of India and are considered part of Southern Asia.. Maldives was for the most part unknown to tourists until the early 1970s.

