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Southwest of Sri Lanka, straddling the equator. Latitudes 4 degrees 17 north and longitudes 73 degrees 50 east.
1,190 coral islands forming an archipelago of 26 major atolls. Stretches 820 kilometres from north to south and 120 kilometres from east to west. 202 islands are inhabited, 107 are private resort islands.
Generally warm and humid with year-round sunshine. Average temperature is around 29 - 32 degrees Celsius, rarely colder than 25 degrees Celcius.
Dress is generally casual. T-shirts and cotton clothing are most suitable. In Male’, the capital island, and other inhabited islands it is recommended that women respect local customs and wear modest clothing.
In 2021, population for Maldives is 544,000
Religion
Dhivehi is the local language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken by Maldivians and visitors can easily make themselves understood in the capital city. In the resorts, a variety of languages are spoken by the staff including English, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese and many more.
The Maldives’ economy Growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) braked to an estimated 1.5% in 2015 from 6.5% a year earlier as tourism contracted and transport growth slowed markedly. As most taxes are tied to tourism, growth was cut further due to a fall in tax earnings net of subsidies. Growth came largely from robust public investment that propelled a doubling of construction growth to over 40%. Fisheries and trade follow close behind, with tuna being the biggest export.
The Maldivian currency is the Rufiyaa although US Dollars can also be used in the capital city. The exchange rate for the US Dollar is fixed at MRf.15.42. There are ATMs at the airport and in Male’. Resorts generally accept most currencies and credit cards. Commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card.
The functional literacy rate is 98%. Educational standards are among the highest in the region and schools follow the British system of education.
GMT + 5 hours (DST) /GMT + 4 hours (BST)
From Sundays to Thursdays 0800hrs to 1500hrs in the government sector and generally from 0800hrs to 1400hrs in the private sector. Additionally, most offices in the private sector are open for half days on Saturdays. The weekend falls on Fridays and Saturdays.
Up-to-date technology and international satellite links allow the Maldives to have sophisticated communications systems. IDD facilities are available on all resorts and card phones are available on all inhabited islands. Dhiraagu and Ooredoo; the telecommunications companies in the Maldives, also provide mobile phones for daily rental and WiFi/Dialup internet services. Local SIM cards can be purchased at the airport if required.
The majority of the banks in Male’ are found on the strip of the island facing the airport. These include HSBC, Bank of Ceylon, State Bank of India and Bank of Maldives.
From the time you land at Malé airport, a connecting sea plane or speed boat and transfer to your resort island might take up to about an hour and a half. The Maldives is a nation of islands. Each resort is set on its own island and so is the airport. The airport is on Hulhule Island. Visitors to the Maldives are granted a 30-day visitor’s visa upon arrival. Items such as alcohol, drugs, pornography and idols of worship are strictly prohibited. There is a Tourism Ministry counter at the airport which is a good source of information for travellers. For your return journey, daytime flights from the Maldives airport are recommended. Evening flights can cause inconveniences since the airport transfers operate only by day requiring guests to leave their resorts many hours ahead of departure. Sea planes are grounded by 6.00 pm due to poor visibility at night and the risk of hitting coral reefs. If you have time on your hands, consider a half-day’s excursion in Malé and maybe even catch up on some duty free shopping at the airport.
The Maldives is embellished and ornamented with one of the most diverse flora and fauna found in the entire world. Uniquely the marine flora and fauna originating in the Maldives is peerless. The Maldives boasts of one of the most disparate underwater sceneries on earth. Gardens of coral reefs resemble a work of art that has mesmerized scuba divers from around the world. The open sea and reefs are inhabited by over 2000 species of colourful fish of various proportions.
The capital city of the Maldives and the seat of the executive, legislature and judicial branches of the government of the Maldives. Male’ is also the financial and commercial capital of the country. Accordingly, major government offices, banks and businesses are based on Male’.
