Context
The successful completion of the first round of India–Maldives Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations has highlighted the Maldives’ strategic location and its importance in the Indian Ocean Region.
About Maldives
- The Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean, located in the Arabian Sea region, about 700 km southwest of mainland India.
- It consists of more than 1,110 islands grouped into a double chain of 26 natural atolls. Its capital is Malé.
- The Eight Degree Channel, located between Lakshadweep and the Maldives, is an important sea route and holds strategic importance for India’s maritime security and trade.
- The islands are low-lying and mainly consist of sandy land and marshy wetlands.
- The Maldives has the world’s seventh-largest coral reef system, covering about 3.14% of the global coral reef area.
- The islands have an average elevation of less than 1.7 metres above mean sea level, making the Maldives one of the lowest-lying countries in the world and highly vulnerable to sea-level rise.
- Gan Island, located in the Laamu Atoll, is the country’s largest island.
