The Asian country made up of 26 natural atolls in the Indian Ocean is the Maldives.
The Maldives forms a long, narrow double chain southwest of Sri Lanka and India. Its atolls sit on a submarine ridge extending roughly 960 kilometres through the Indian Ocean. Together, the country contains about 1,192 coral islands, although only a small fraction are permanently inhabited.
An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef or island group surrounding a lagoon. The Maldives’ reefs developed around ancient volcanic formations that gradually subsided beneath the sea, leaving coral growth near the water’s surface. This explains the country’s exceptionally low elevation: its average natural ground level is only about 1.5 metres above sea level.
A common mix-up is confusing the 26 natural atolls with the Maldives’ 21 administrative divisions. The country is also sometimes associated mainly with luxury resorts, but its geography is central to its identity—and makes it especially vulnerable to coastal erosion and rising sea levels.