Maldives, officially the Republic of the Maldives, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean–Arabian Sea area, consisting of a double chain of twenty-six atolls, oriented north-south, that lie between Minicoy Island and the Chagos Archipelago.

I visited Gan, the southernmost island of Addu Atoll (previously also known as Seenu Atoll), as well as the southernmost island of the Maldives. It is relatively large by Maldive standards.

In 1941, during World War II, the Royal Navy established a base on Gan, and had a naval and later an RAF base on the island until 1976, when British Forces withdrew.

Today the island ha a hotel catering for tourists and is connected by causeways to the neighboring islands of Feydu, Maradu and Hithadhoo.