Maldives yana kan Chagos-Laccadive Ridge, babban dutsen dutsen karkashin ruwa a cikin Tekun Indiya, wanda kuma ya zama yanki na ƙasa, tare da Chagos Archipelago da Lakshadweep. Tare da matsakaicin matsakaicin matakin ƙasa na mita 1.5 (4 ft 11 a) sama da matakin teku, ita ce ƙasa mafi ƙasƙanci a duniya, har ma da mafi girman yanayin da yake ɗaya daga cikin mafi ƙasƙanci a duniya, a mita 5.1 (17 ft). Saboda haɗarin da ke tattare da hauhawar matakan teku, gwamnati ta yi alkawarin a shekarar 2009 don sanya Maldives ta zama ƙasa mai tsaka-tsakin carbon ta 2019. An gabatar da addinin Islama ga tsibirin Maldives a karni na 12 wanda aka karfafa shi a matsayin masarauta, yana haɓaka alaƙar al'adu da al'adu tare da Afirka da Asiya.
an kafa jamhuriyar shugaban kasa a shekarar 1968