a country made up of a group of small islands in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka, which are famous for their beautiful beaches. Population: 310,764 (2001). Capital: Malé. The Maldives are threatened by global warming, because if the sea level rises much, the islands could disappear. Daviyani the capital city and main port of Maldives, on Male Island in the Indian Ocean. officially Republic of Maldives Archipelago country, in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka
a group of about 1,200 small coral islands (about 220 inhabited) in the Indian ocean a republic on the Maldive Islands; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1965