Malé

Located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll, Malé is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. The central island is heavily urbanised, with the built-up area taking up essentially its entire landmass. Slightly less than one-third of the nation's population lives in the capital city, and the population has increased from 20,000 people in 1987 to 100,000 people in 2006. Many, if not most, Maldivians and foreign workers in Maldives find themselves in occasional short-term residence on the island since it is the only entry point to the nation and the centre of all administration and bureaucracy. In recent years, the island has been considerably expanded through landfilling operations.