Aerial view of Maafushi Island, showcasing its pristine beaches, vibrant greenery, and the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. In South Malé Atoll the argument is not a theory. It is an island you can walk. Statistics Maldives records Maafushi at 41.12 hectares, with 4,471 residents on census night in 2022. The length is a little more than a kilometre; the width, at its mean, is a few hundred metres. You do not need a map to understand the claim. You need only