 It consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometers, making this one of the most geographically dispersed countries in the world.It has the 31st largest exclusive economic zone of .Composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, the atolls are situated atop a submarine ridge, long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs from north to south.