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Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island nation consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives are located south of India's Lakshadweep islands, and about seven hundred kilometers (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka.
The Maldives consists of 1190 islands grouped into 26 natural atolls scattered over an area of 90,000 sq.
The official name of the country was changed from Maldive Islands to Maldives in a progressive manner. Tourism began to be developed on the archipelago about five years later, by the beginning of the 1970s.
Capital: Malé
Geography: The atolls of the Maldives are formed from coral structures. The atolls are part of a greater structure known as the Laccadives-Chagos Ridge, which stretches over 2000 kilometers. The islands are low lying with the highest point at approximately eight feet above sea level. Ring-shaped reef structures form the atolls and these reefs provide the natural defense against wind and wave action on these delicate islands.
Official languages: Dhivehi. The official and common language is Dhivehi, an Indo-European language having some similarities with Sinhalese. The present-day written script is called Thaana and is written from right to left. English is used widely in commerce and increasingly as the medium of instruction in government schools.
Government: Republic.
Climate: The temperature of Maldives ranges between 24°C and 33°C throughout the year. Although the humidity is relatively high, the constant sea breezes help to keep the air moving. Two seasons dominate Maldives' weather: the dry season associated with the winter northeast monsoon and the rainy season brought by the summer southwest monsoon. The annual rainfall averages 2,540 millimeters in the north and 3,810 millimeters in the south. The hottest month on average is April and the coolest, December. February is the driest with December to April being relatively dry. The Maldives is in the equatorial belt and therefore severe storms are rare.
The Maldives has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year round and a great deal of sunshine. The warm tropical climate results in relatively minor variations in daily temperature throughout the year. The weather is determined largely by the monsoons;
The Southwest monsoons are from May to November and the Northeast monsoon from December to April.
Area: Total 298 km²
History: Originally a Buddhist nation, Islam was introduced in 1153 by invaders. It later became a Portuguese (1558), Dutch (1654), and British (1887) colonial possession. In 1965, Maldives obtained independence from Britain, and in 1968 the Sultanate was replaced by a Republic.
Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. It is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.
On 26 December 2004, the Maldives were devastated by a tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Only nine islands were reported to have escaped any flooding, while fifty-seven islands faced serious damage to critical infrastructure, fourteen islands had to be totally evacuated, and six islands were decimated. A further twenty-one resort islands were forced to shut down due to serious damage. The total damage was estimated at over 400 million dollars or some 62% of the GDP. A total of 108 people, including six foreigners, reportedly died in the tsunami. The destructive impact of the waves on the low-lying islands was mitigated by the fact there was no continental shelf or land mass upon which the waves could gain height. The tallest waves were reported 14 feet high.
Demographics: The Maldivian ethnic identity is a blend of the cultures reflecting the peoples who settled on the islands, reinforced by religion and language. The earliest settlers were probably from Southern India.
As of July 2006, more than 50,000 foreign employees live in the country. They comprise mainly of people from the neighboring South Asian countries of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Maldivian culture is derived from a number of sources, the most important of which is its proximity to the shores of Sri Lanka and South India.
Tourism: The development of tourism has fostered the overall growth of the country's economy. It has created direct and indirect employment and income generation opportunities in other related industries. Today, tourism is the country's biggest foreign exchange earner.
Diving: Maldives is home to some of the most diverse marine fauna and flora in the world. Tens of thousands of reefs, a thousand recorded species of fish, over two hundred species of coral and hundreds more species of other marine life; no wonder many see this as one of the greatest dive destinations on earth.
Immigration/Visa: Tourists are issued a maximum of 30-day tourist visa on arrival. A valid travel document is necessary. Visa extensions are granted by the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Malé.
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