If confirmed, this would allow the low-lying Indian Ocean archipelago to leapfrog Tuvalu, leaving the Polynesian island as the nation with the world's lowest lying peak.

The ambitiously named Mount Villingili, which reportedly stands at 5.1 meters, would barely register as a mound in the topography of most places.

But the small hill on the fifth tee of the islands’ only golf course, has recently assumed a significance disproportionate to its size in the Maldives.

Until now, an “unnamed location” on the island with a height of 2.4m has been accepted as the highest point on the Maldives, and is still officially registered in the CIA World Factbook as such.

But according to the Shangri-la Villingili Resort&Spa, Mount Villingili has had its height confirmed as 5.1 metres, more than double the height of its rival, confirming it as the islands' highest spot.

That would put the Maldives mightiest peak 10 centimetres higher than that of Tuvalu, which is registered at just five metres.

To mark its new "discovery", the resort is now putting on a daily Mount Villingili tour, awarding all guests who successfully complete the arduous ascent a certificate.

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