The Maldives comprises more than 1,000 islands
Yes, you read that right. The Maldives consists of around 1,190 distinct islands arranged in a double chain of 26 atolls scattered over the Indian Ocean to the south and west of India and Sri Lanka. Some of the Maldives' islands are so small that you'll have to zoom in on Google Maps to even notice them. Others are barely more than a spit of sand protruding from the lake. That means that, except for Male, the most populous island, many islands have only one resort or hotel.
The atolls are made up of live coral reefs and sand bars and are located atop a 960 km (600 mi) long undersea ridge that rises suddenly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs north to south. Only near the southern end of this natural coral barricade are two open channels that allow safe ship travel from one side of the Indian Ocean to the other across Maldives territorial waters. The Maldives government divided these atolls into twenty-one administrative divisions for administrative purposes.
Gan, the largest island in the Maldives, is part of the Laamu Atoll or Hahdhummathi Maldives. The westernmost islands of Addu Atoll are linked by roadways that span the reef and total 14 kilometers in length (8.7 mi).
