The Maldives is a country in the Indian Ocean made up of 1,191 islands. The area was first settled by people from southern India. Other peoples arrived over time including the Muslims in the 12th century. Starting in 1153 the country was governed as a independent Islamic sultanate. It remained this way until 1887 when the land was colonized by the British.
In 1965 the Maldives was granted independence from Britain. Initially the country was ran as a sultanate, but in 1968 the sultanate was abolished and the country became a republic with the name Maldives.
The Geography of Maldives
Total Size: 300 square km
Size Comparison: about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
