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Malé

Capital of MaldivesMalé covers a small island at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll), near the middle of the long chain of atolls that makes up the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.

Why it's the capital

Malé was traditionally the King's Island: the old royal dynasties ruled the Maldives from here, the royal palace stood here, and the city was called Mahal.

Fun facts

  1. The Hukuru Miskiy, or Friday Mosque, was built in the 17th century from coral stone and is one of the oldest mosques in the country.
  2. The airport is on a separate island, Hulhulé, which has been linked to Malé by the Sinamalé Bridge since October 2018.
  3. Hulhumalé, an artificial island, has had people living on it since 2004.

Finding it on the globe

From the southern tip of India, go south-west into the Indian Ocean to the long chain of the Maldives. Malé is near the middle of the chain, a little north of the equator.

Sources: Wikipedia: Malé, Wikipedia: Maldives