The Maldives is the world’s lowest-lying country by average ground level.
This island nation consists of 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. Its land is made from coral islands and sand, so most inhabited islands rise only a small distance above sea level.
The Maldives has an average ground level of about 1.5 metres above sea level, while its highest natural point is commonly identified as roughly 2.4 metres. These figures make it exceptionally vulnerable to coastal flooding and erosion.
The Maldives is sometimes confused with other low-lying island states such as Tuvalu and Kiribati. Those countries are also highly exposed to sea-level rise, but the Maldives holds the record for the lowest average elevation.