The Maldives is a coral archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, some 480 kilometres southwest of India and 720 kilometres west of Sri Lanka. Twenty-six natural atolls and 1,190 islands—only 200 of which are inhabited—make up the region, home to a total of 87 resorts that are all keen to capitalise on the country’s tropical climate and exquisite beaches. Ninety-nine per cent of the Maldives is in fact water, which explains the hordes of tourists who visit the area each year in search of world-class diving and watersports facilities.