Maldives (Divehi Jumhuriya, Republic of Maldives) are an archipelago of atolls located in the Indian Ocean south-west from the far end of southern India. The archipelago is made up of 20 coral atolls with a total of more than 1,000 islands, of which more than 200 inhabited, which stretch for about 800 km, between the Equator and 7° north latitude, the state capital is Male, the surface total of the islands is 298 square kilometres. The islands are flat and the highest point of the archipelago slightly exceeds the "considerable" height of 2 metres. Tourism is the main resource of the islands, thanks to the beauty of the sea and the many island exclusive-hotels. Other resources are fishing (tuna, coral and shells), and the cultivation of coconut trees, from which are produced oil, copra and textiles fibers.