Maldives High Sea

The Maldives lie southwest of India and Sri Lanka, their low coral atolls scattered across a long reach of the Indian Ocean. Cowries from these islands became a currency in parts of Asia and along the East African coast, while traders connected the archipelago with Sri Lanka, India and Southeast Asia. Chinese fleets under Zheng He visited in 1411 and 1430. Portuguese occupation followed in 1558, ending with the expulsion of the garrison in 1573.