The Maldives, a chain of 26 coral atolls to India’s southwest, is one of the smallest countries in Asia and the Pacific by population and land area. Its estimated 341,200 people are widely dispersed over 188 inhabited islands across an archipelago more than 800 kilometers long and 130 kilometers wide. The capital city, Malé, is home to one-third of the people, yet has a total land area of less than 2 square kilometers. The country has to a great extent met these serious geographical challenges by developing its many islands into high-end tourist resorts. Strong growth in the tourism sector, with support from fisheries and tourism-related activities, enabled the Maldives to transition from least-developed to middle-income status by 2011. In spite of a number of adverse internal and external factors, its growth performance has been strong, averaging 7.4% during 1986–2014. Real gross domestic product per capita, at $6,154 in 2014, is the highest in South Asia. This impressive record over four and a half decades provides inspiring lessons for other small island economies.