The Maldives or Maldives Islands is an island nation in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives are an archipelago of 1192 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls. The Maldives is the smallest Asian Country and the capital and largest city is Male. The weather in Maldives is affected by the large landmass of South Asia to the north. The presence of this landmass causes differential heating of land and water.