Located in the Indian Ocean between 72 degrees 33' 40" East to 73 degrees 45' 20" East and 7 degrees 06' 38" North to 0 degrees 42' 31" South, Maldives is a chain of coral atolls formed upon minor elevations on the Chagos-Lacadive submarine plateau, which ascends from the deep Indian Ocean. The plateau has provided a base for the reefbuilding corals, from where they have risen to the surface.

Many of the low-lying islands such as those in the Maldives are created from reefal limestone and unconsolidated carbonate sediment. As suggested by Darwin, coral atolls are formed by the total disappearance of a volcanic mass beneath the sea and continued upward growth of coral reefs on this volcanic basement, resulting in the formation of a coral atoll or in local terms, atholhu.

Most of the atolls have a number of channels or openings in the outer reef (kandu olhi) which provide access to the islands in the enclosed interior sea or lagoon of the atoll. Some of the atolls are fairly large such as Huvadhoo Atoll in the south which is regarded as one of the largest true atoll formations in the world with about 250 islands and a lagoon area covering approximately 2,800 sq km. Some other atolls are very small with only a single island such as Kaashidhoo and Gaafaru in North Male Atoll. In addition there is the reeftop type, with no interior lagoon but an island covering most of the of the reef platform such as Fuahmulah. In the central part of the archipelago the atolls are formed into two chains a western and an eastern chain separated by a channel.

There are a total of approximately 1,190 islands, with an average elevation of about 1.6 meters above mean sea level. All of them are surrounded by natural reefs which serve as the only protection against rough seas. The islands are generally flat with very few mounds. There are no hills, mountains or rivers. Some of the larger islands have small fresh-water lakes while others have brackish water with mangroves along the edges.

The country is formed into 26 natural atolls of varying size. For administrative purposes these natural atolls are divided into 20 administrative units or administrative atolls.