The Maldives' intertwined with that of the Indian subcontinent as a whole and the surrounding areas, which include South Asia and the Indian Ocean; and the modern nation, which is made up of 1194 islands spread across 26 natural atolls. Due to its position on the main Indian Ocean marine routes in the past, the Maldives were of strategic importance. India, Sri Lanka, and the British Indian Ocean Territory are the Maldives' closest neighbors. The Maldives have traded culturally and economically with Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and some Indian kingdoms for centuries. Maldivians also traded with Aceh and many other kingdoms in what is now Indonesia and Malaysia. Most likely, the Maldives were influenced by the Kalingas of ancient India, who were the first sea traders to Sri Lanka and the Maldives from India and were responsible for the spread of Buddhism.[1] The Maldives were the primary source of cowrie shells, which were then used as currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast. Additionally, evidence of either direct or indirect trade between China and the Maldives can be found in the buried remains of Chinese chinaware. The Maldives were visited by the Chinese admiral Zheng He in 1411 and 1430. When the Chinese nationalist government based in Taipei opened an embassy in Malé in 1966, the Chinese also became the first nation to establish a diplomatic office in the Maldives. Since then, the People's Republic of China embassy has taken its place.