Capital: Male
Currency: Rufiyaa (MVR)
Borders: 0 km
The Maldive Islands are a group of tropical atolls, sitting on the
Equator in the Indian Ocean off the south-southwest coast of India.
The total land area measures 300 km with a coastline of 644 km
surrounding the islands. The terrain of the Maldives is flat and
although none of the islands are particularly large, they all share
many common factors. The Maldives house perhaps the most beautiful
collection of white sand beaches, shaded by coconut trees facing
transparent azure waters. Offshore, the attraction lies in the
surrounding reefs, which are a haven for a unique and incredibly
colourful collection of marine wildlife. Scuba divers and
snorkellers find this particularly interesting. Due to the
exceptionally low level of terrain, the Maldives are vulnerable to
rising sea levels. In fact the highest point within the Maldives
Atoll is the Addu Atoll at just 2.4m.The
Maldives gained independence from the Dutch and eventually the
British in 1965, becoming a republic in 1968. The capital is Male on
the Male Atoll. Even though it is located on the largest island
within the Maldives, Male is a tiny place, although it does house a
collection of what the other islands lack, namely infrastructure.
The population of the Maldives is 320,165 and is made up of an
ethnic mix of Indians, Sinhalese and Arabs. The dominant religion is
Islam and many people flock to the Jami Masjid in Male for Friday
prayers. The official language of the Maldives is Maldivian Dhivehi
and the national unit of currency is the Rufiyaa.
Tourism is big business in the Maldives and although the islands
receive a high number of foreign tourists every year, the government
is strict on the conservation and well being of the islands. Fishing
is also an important economic factor within the Maldives. There is
no transport network because the islands are simply not big enough
to warrant building any railways or highways.
The climate is hot, tropical and sunny. The northeast monsoon runs
from November to March and the southwest monsoon lasts from June to
August. The average annual daily temperature is 32°C. |
