What is the capital of the Maldives?

The capital of the Maldives is Malé, also commonly written Male without the accent.

Malé is the Maldives’ political and historical heart. It occupies a densely built island in the North Malé Atoll and contains the presidential administration, parliament, courts, central harbor, businesses, schools, and major religious institutions. Although the country is famous for scattered resort islands, Malé is the main urban and governmental center.

The city has long served as the seat of Maldivian rulers. The Maldives’ conversion from Buddhism to Islam in 1153 helped shape Malé’s religious identity and architecture. Hukuru Miskiy, or the Friday Mosque, is a famous historic structure built largely from coral stone and associated with the city’s long Islamic heritage.

A frequent mix-up is Addu City, the country’s second major urban center in the far south. Fuvahmulah and Kulhudhuffushi are also important inhabited islands, but none is the national capital. Hulhumalé, a planned reclaimed island next to Malé, is part of the capital’s expanding urban area but is not a separate national capital.

The spelling “Malé” distinguishes the city’s name from the English word “male”; both forms refer to the same capital.