Which ocean contains the Maldives' coral atolls?

The Maldives’ coral atolls are in the Indian Ocean. The island nation lies southwest of India and Sri Lanka, near the southeastern edge of the Arabian Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives is made up of roughly 1,200 low-lying coral islands arranged in 26 natural atolls. These atolls sit on a long submarine ridge that rises dramatically from the ocean floor and extends generally north–south. Coral reefs and sand bars form the visible foundations of the islands.

A common mix-up is to associate the Maldives with the Pacific because the Pacific contains most of the world’s atolls. The Indian Ocean also has major atoll groups, including the Maldives, the Chagos Archipelago and Lakshadweep. The word “atoll” itself comes from Dhivehi, the language of the Maldives, reflecting the islands’ long relationship with reef environments.