The Maldives consists of 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of twenty-seven atolls situated in the Indian Ocean. Most atolls consist of a large, ring-shaped coral reef supporting numerous small islands...
The country covers an area approximately 90,000 square kilometres, of which only 298 square kilometres is dry land. The islands are of average one to two square kilometres in area, and no individual island is longer than eight kilometres. The Maldives lies between 1-1.5 meters above sea level, with the highest island situated at 3 meters above sea level.
Maldives is largely flat and has no land features such as hills or rivers, but some islands have dunes such as that found in Hithadhoo island of Addu Atoll, and wetlands and marshes such as those found in the Fuvahmulah island of Gnaviyani Atoll.
The Maldives is renowned for its white sandy beaches, pristine turquoise waters and unique underwater marine life.
In 2011, Baa Atoll, which is home to a globally significant biodiversity among its numerous reefs in the Indian Ocean, became a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The people of the Maldives islands are widely dispersed across the atolls, with about 200 inhabited islands. About 164 islands are developed as tourist resorts and the remaining islands are uninhabited or used for agriculture & other livelihood purposes.
The capital of the Maldives is Male’.
CLIMATE
The Maldives has a warm and humid tropical climate, all year round and is influenced by two dominating monsoons.
The fact that the Maldives is located at the equator, Maldives receives plentiful of sunshine throughout the year. The temperatures of Maldives ranges between 25° Celsius and 32° Celsius throughout the year.
The dry season (northeast monsoon) runs from December to April. While the rainy season (southeast monsoon) runs from late May to November.
LANGUAGE
The official language of the Maldives is Dhivehi, which is a unique language spoken only by the people of Maldives.
Dhivehi is an Indo-Aryan language with roots in Sanskrit and influenced by other major languages in the region. The language was influenced by the Arabic language with the advent of Islam in the 12th century, and the English language with the introduction of English medium education in the Maldives.
Spoken Dhivehi has notable dialects due to geographical dispersion, with the southern-most islands having the most distinct dialect.
Dhivehi script, known as Thaana, is written from right to left, similar to the Arabic language. This new script was invented in the 16th century, following the liberation of the country from the Portuguese.
There are 24 letters in the Thaana alphabet and 11 separate vowel or diacritical signs called fili in Maldivian, which are placed either above or below the alphabet letter designating the sound.
VISA
All nationalities receive a 30-day visa on arrival, provided that you have a valid passport, an onward to ticket to continue your journey and a reservation at a tourist facility or enough funds to cover your stay in the country.
TRAVEL AND TRANSFER
Speedboat transfer is the norm to resorts close to the International Airport. The rest is covered by seaplane or domestic flight. If you are travelling to Male’ you can take a taxi from the airport. Several daily flights operate from Velana International Airport to the 12 domestic and international airports in the country. Scheduled ferries also operate from Male’ to many of the atolls.
ALCOHOL
Import of alcohol by individuals is not permitted. However, alcohol is available at all the resorts.
WEATHER
Year-round temperature hot tropical climate. The average high temperature is 31.5 degree Celsius and the average low temperature is 26.4 degree Celsius. The Southwest monsoon from May to October brings rain and the Northeast monsoon from November to April is generally sunny.
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Shells were used as currency
Shells were used as a method of international trading currency in the 1800s, something which the Maldives had by the bucketload! These cowrie shells are distinctive, lightweight, and cannot be forged, making them an ideal money substitution. The shell-money trade is long since gone, and the cowrie shell is worthless these days, although it remains as the emblem of the Maldives Monetary Authority.
Swim with enormous fish
The Maldives is known for its variety of marine life, but the king of the waves here is the whale shark. The largest fish in the ocean, whale sharks can grow up to 20ft long, but you don’t need to fear a ‘Jaws’ type scenario as they live off a diet of plankton.
If you want to spot these enormous beasts all year round, then head to the southern part of Sun Island’s reef on the South Ari Atoll. Other spots are Rangali Island and the uninhabited Hanifaru Bay.
The Maldives is the world’s lowest nation
The Maldives are merely eight feet above sea level at their highest natural point, which is lower than every other country on the planet. The 1,200 islands are on average around seven feet above sea level. The archipelago is protected from monsoon season swells by a natural barrier of coral reefs.
