The Maldives is the smallest SAARC member by area, with approximately 300 square kilometres of land.
SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, was established in 1985 to promote regional cooperation. Its members include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Maldives is the only SAARC member made entirely of coral islands.
Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are all relatively small compared with India or Pakistan, but each has much more land. The Maldives’ tiny land area is spread across a vast oceanic zone, so its geographic footprint looks larger on a map of its exclusive economic area.
The Maldives joined SAARC as a founding member in 1985. Its capital, Malé, is one of the world’s most densely populated urban islands.