Located in the Indian Ocean, the state consists of 26 atolls with 1.196 coral islands; Resorts have so far been built on around 140 islands. The atolls have a north-south extension of over 890 km.

The metropolitan area is the capital Malé on the main island of the same name. Almost everything is delivered here by container ships and planes, as only little can be produced on the islands.

The Maldives is one of the least economically developed countries in the world. The most important source of income is tourism. In agriculture, sweet potatoes, chili, millet and cassava as well as fruits such as papayas, mangoes, bananas and breadfruit are grown in the Maldives. The most important crop in the Maldives is the coconut palm. Fishing is considered an indispensable pillar of the island's economy. Since all industrial products and almost all staple foods have to be imported, there is a high trade deficit. It is not possible to offset the import surplus with income from the service sector. The Maldives are therefore dependent on development aid.