Maldives

Maldives is an island country located in Southern Asia, a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean south-southwest of India, covering an area of approximately 298 square kilometers. As of 2024, Maldives has a population of about 388,900, with Dhivehi as the official language and English spoken by most government officials. The country features flat coral atolls with white sandy beaches, sitting atop the submarine volcanic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge, with a tropical climate of hot, humid conditions and distinct dry and rainy monsoon seasons. Male serves as the capital, and the government operates as a presidential republic.

Maldives has an upper-middle-income economy with a GDP of $6.97 billion and a GDP per capita of $23,400, driven by tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, and coconut processing. Key natural resources include fish, and key agricultural products include fruits, vegetables, nuts, and papayas. The unemployment rate is 4.5% as of 2025, with a literacy rate of 98.2% and life expectancy of 81.3 years. Maldives is renowned as a luxury tourism destination, though its economy was severely impacted by COVID-19 and faces ongoing challenges including high public debt, systemic corruption, and existential threats from climate change and rising sea levels.