Which small Indian Ocean country has Malé as its capital?

The small Indian Ocean country with Malé as its capital is the Maldives.

Malé is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives, an archipelago of atolls in the Indian Ocean. The city occupies a densely built island in North Malé Atoll and serves as the country’s political, commercial, and cultural center. Nearby Hulhulé hosts the main international airport, while reclaimed Hulhumalé has expanded the metropolitan area.

Malé’s history reaches back many centuries, when it served as the seat of rulers of the island kingdom. The Maldives converted from Buddhism to Islam in 1153, a transformation that shaped the capital’s institutions, traditions, and architecture. The seventeenth-century Hukuru Miskiy, or Friday Mosque, is especially notable for its coral-stone construction.

The city is often confused with the name of the country because both are short and closely associated in travel coverage. Malé is the capital city; the Maldives refers to the entire sovereign archipelago. Another common misconception is that the capital is a resort island: Malé is a crowded urban center, distinct from the many resort islands spread across the atolls.