Most importantly, this atlas is designed to be an informative reference for travelling around the atolls. Having a clear understanding of the island names and their locations, as well as knowing some of the main features, will undoubtedly lead to a more rewarding travel experience The Maldives are a chain of islands spread over a distance of 868 km in a north - south direction. They cover an area of 90,000 sq. km and lie between latitude 7[degrees]6'30 N to 0[degrees]42'30 S, and longitude 72[degrees]32'30 E to 73[degrees]46'15 E. Estimates of the number of islands differ, depending on the definition of an island. Officially there are 1190 islands having some form of vegetation on them, whether grass or bushes or trees . Of this number 990 are uninhabited and 200 inhabited, with a total population of 327,135.