Why are the melting points of ionic compounds so high?

Ionic compounds exhibit high melting points and high boiling points due to the significant amount of energy required to break the numerous strong bonds between ions. When these compounds are dissolved in water or melted, they conduct electricity because the ions become free to move. This subsequently permits electric charge to flow. Ionic compounds also consist of positively and negatively charged ions that are strongly attracted to each other due to the opposite charges they carry (electrostatic force). This is another reason breaking these bonds requires a large amount of energy and has high melting points.