Republic of Maldives is an archipelagic state located in South Asia, in the Indian Ocean. It lies 750 km southwest of Sri Lanka and India. The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south (across the Equator). The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, situated atop a submarine ridge 960 km long that rises from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs north to south.