Maldives

Republic of Maldives consists of 1,190 islands (approximately 200 are inhabited) in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka. It is a presidential-parliamentary democracy and has a population of approximately 340,000, with more than  100,000 people residing in the capital city of Malé, and an estimated 110,000  to 120,000 foreign workers. Beautiful atolls, inhabited by over 1,100 species of fish and other sea life, attract about a million visitors each year. Tourism facilities are well developed on the resort islands. Read the Department of State’s Fact Sheet on Maldives for additional information.