The smallest country in Asia is the Maldives. The Maldives is an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka. It is made up of 26 coral atolls, which comprise around 1,200 islands, out of which around 200 are inhabited. The total land area of the Maldives is approximately 298 square kilometers (115 square miles). The capital city of the Maldives is Malé, which is located on the island of the same name. Due to its small size and low-lying geography, the Maldives is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels.