Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka, consisting of 19 atolls made up of about 2,000 coral islands. Settled by various groups from southern Asia, the islands were converted to Islam in the 12th century. The Maldives became a self-governing British protectorate in 1887 and achieved independence as a sultanate (1965) and subsequently as a republic (1968). Male is the capital. Population of Maldives is 300,000 .
The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. Tourism and fishing are being developed on the archipelago.