Over View
The Maldives is spread across the Indian Ocean - north of the equator and southwest of the Indian peninsular. A chain of 1190 small coral islands stretch over an area of around 90,000 square kilometers. What is most attention-grabbing, though, is that only one percent of this considerably large territory is land. The rest is all taken up by the vast blue Indian Ocean .
The 1190 islands of the Maldives are naturally grouped into 26 atolls. The distribution of islands in the atolls is random, the number of islands belonging to an atoll varying from one to the other. No more than 200 of these islands are locally inhabited. 88 have been chosen for resort development and the rest are all desert islands - some rarely ever set foot on by man. It is the endless ocean which separates the islands which contributes to the Maldivian air of mystery. It is also these geographical features which have helped Maldives retain its natural beauty and centuries old traditions.
History & Culture
Religion & Language
Currency & Communication
Health & Education
The Capital - Male'
Archaeological and historical discoveries indicate that the islands have been inhabited over three thousand years. Being on an important trade route, Maldives was visited by people from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
These visitors left a strong influence on the people, their religion and the culture of the Maldives.
A proud history and rich culture evolved from the first settlers who were from various parts of the world traveling the seas in ancient times.
The Maldives has been a melting pot of different cultures as people from different parts of the world came here and settled down. Some of the local music and dance for instance resemble African influences.
As one would expect there is a great South Asian influence especially in the traditional food of the Maldivians. Many of the traditions are strongly related to the seas and the fact that life is dependent on the seas around us.
Religion & Language
100% Sunni Muslim. Maldives is perhaps the only country with a 100% Muslim population. Islam was introduced around A.D.800, and the moderate form practiced in Maldives has remained virtually unchanged.
Since Maldives embraced Islam in 1153, Island has been central to the life of Maldivians. The main events and festivalss of Maldivian life follow the Muslim Calendar.
From infancy children are taught the Arabic alphabet. Religious education is provided both at home and at school. Islam is part of the school curriculum and is taught concurrently with other subjects.
Dhivehi is the language spoken in all parts of the Maldives . English is widely spoken by Maldivians and visitors can easily make themselves understood getting around the capital island.
The Maldivian script known as thaana was invented during the 16th century soon after the country was liberated from Portuguese rule.
Unlike former scripts thaana is written from right to left. This was devised to accommodate Arabic words that are frequently used in Dhivehi. There are 24 letters in the thaana alphabet.
In most of the resorts, a variety of languages are spoken by the staff including English, German, French, Italian and Japanese.
Currency & Communication
The Maldivian currency is the Rufiyaa and Laaree. The exchange rate for US Dollar at the time of writing is MRf.12.85 for the dollar. One Rufiyaa is equivalent to 100 laarees. Rufiyaa bank notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. Coins are in the denominations of MRf.2.00, MRf.1.00, 50 laarees, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 laaree.
The US Dollar is the most commonly used foreign currency. Payments in the resorts and hotels can be made in most hard currency in cash, travellers' cheques or credit cards.
Most commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card.
Foreign currency can be exchanged at any authorised moneychanger at the banks in Male'. It can be exchanged at the airport on arrival or at the resort islands.
Telecommunications services are provided by Dhiraagu; a joint venture between the Government of Maldives and Cable and Wireless Co. of the UK and by Wataniya ; a joint venture between the government of Maldives and Wataniya main company..
International Direct Dialing is available at all the resorts, with most having telephones in the rooms. All the inhabited islands are linked with telephones.
Internet services are available at all the resorts and prepaid and post paid mobile service and additional roaming services within Europe and other areas are also available for visitors.
Health & Education
Maldives has a small population of just over 300,000 people living about 200 islands. The country is blessed with clean air and there are hardly any mass pollution and population movements.
Visitors to the Maldives do not require any vaccinations or medications against Malaria before travelling to the Maldives unless they are coming from a yellow fever infected area.
There are two hospitals in Male', many clinics, pharmacies and a number of good doctors both in private practice and at the hospitals. A physician is also within easy reach from all resorts islands.
Maldives has some of the finest Health and Spa resorts in the world, for those who prefer such a holiday.
English medium education was introduced to the country in the 1960s. Although Male' is still the main center of secondary and higher education, education opportunities are available throughout the country. The GCE Ordinary Level Examination of the University of Cambridge is conducted at about 50 centers throughout the country.
Education opportunities and education attainment have increased dramatically in recent years. Every inhabited island has at least one school catering to primary level education. This is in line with objective of providing a basic level of primary education to all by the year 2000.
The Maldives College of Higher Education has under its umbrella a number of faculties including, health, tourism and hospitality, management and computing and technical education. The national literacy rate is 98.4%.
The Capital - Male'
Male' is the commercial and political hub of the country. It is home to all government ministries and departments, all of the larger private companies, banks, communications and the key institutions that control the nation's economic and social life.
By most standards with nearly 100,000 residents Male' can be considered a capital of high population density. Surprisingly, visitors are not likely to view Male' as over crowded.
The municipality of Male ' consists of five districts or wards; four on the island of Male ' and the fifth, Villingili, the island to the west of Male', 10 minutes away by boat. Villingili is a popular weekend spot for residents of Male' who visit the island to enjoy its beautiful beaches.
Visa Information
To enter Maldives no pre-arrival visa is required.
A thirty day free visa is issued on arrival for all Nationalities, provided the following conditions are met:
.: Should posses a valid passport and
.: Have a valid ticket to continue the journey out of Maldives and
.: Have enough funds to cover the expenses for duration of the stay in Maldives. (US$100 + $50 dollars per day) or a confirmation of reservation in a Tourist Resort or a Hotel
Caution: Full thirty day visa is not a right of the passenger to claim, but lies at the discretion of the Immigration to issue not more than thirty days and any period less than thirty days.
EMPLOYMENT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UNDER THIS CATEGORY.
Sponsorship
A foreigner maybe allowed to enter Maldives through the sponsorship program. The sponsor should fill and submit the related application form available at the Immigration.
The foreigner should not travel to Maldives under this program, until the sponsorship is approved. It is the responsibilty of the foreigner to ensure that the sponsorship has been approved. Failing upon which the foreigner maybe refused entry.
A sponsor could be a local or a locally registered company.
Renewal of Tourist Visa
A Tourist visa maybe be renewed if the person concerned, applies to the Immigration before the expiration of the visa already granted. Before the extension, Immigration will re-asses the incumbents financial position for the stay period of the extension. An extension can only be applied through the Visa Extension Application Form, at the Head Office during official working hours. Extension if considered, would be granted to a duration not exceeding a total of 90 days. (including the days granted on arrival) A visa fee of Rufiyaa 750 will be charged, for the full extension or part thereof (30 days free + 60 days chargeable) No visa fee will be charged if the extension does not exceed 30 days, that is including the days granted on arrival. FOREIGNERS WHO STAY BEYOND THE APPROVED STAY, MAYBE DEPORTED.
Refusal of Entry
Any person arriving in Maldives maybe refused entry, if the Immigration officer during questioning or interviewing the passenger
.: Have reasonable grounds (not necessarily solid proof) that the person is carrying fraudulent travel documents.
.: Suspects the apparent intention to the possible disruption of harmony and unlawful activities.
.: Has strong anti-semantic religious or political views.
Caution:The right to refuse an entry lies at the discretion of the Immigration and not as a right to claim entry.
Removal from Maldives
Any person staying in Maldives could be removed from Maldives immediately if the person concerned is :
.: Found working on a Tourist Visa
.: Found participating in any unlawful activity or even the intention to participate or initiate an unlawful activity
.: Suspected of disrupting the religious or political harmony
.: Reported to have become a public nuisance
.: Found with expired stay permit
.: Found with expired Work Permit
The removal could be translated as deportation from Maldives until such time, the Immigration seems fit.
Useful LInks
Things to Do
A vacation to Maldives is filled with fun, adventure and excitement. One can embark upon a number of activities while coming on a holiday to this country. There are a number of things to do in Maldives, which will make your vacation thrilling and exciting.
The country is particularly known for its water based activity options. The presence of numerous beaches and a beautiful shoreline allows one to go for a number of water sports and other water based activities. The most popular activity that one can go for includes sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing and fishing. The coral islands are simply perfect to go for such adventure tours in Maldives. Most of the resorts have facilities that allow tourists to go for such activities.
Apart from these, one can also go for sight seeing in Maldives. There are a number of monuments and other historical buildings and parks where one can pay a visit. The most common places that one can pay a visit to includes the Sultan Park, National Museum, Hukuru Miski, National Museum and others,
Tourists coming for a vacation to this exotic country can also go for cruises. There are a number of cruise liners, which take the tourists for a cruise around the islands. One can travel to Hulhule Islands or go for a cruise to the Utheem Island. These cruise are filled with fun and excitement. One gets to see the marine life or go for scuba diving and snorkeling in these cruise.
Shopping is another major pass time in Maldives. One can check out the numerous shops and handicrafts stalls from where one can buy gifts and souvenirs. The country has a fairly good nightlife also. One can check out the bars for a drink. Some of the hotels also have discos where one can dance to the tune of their favorite numbers. Besides these, there are various other things and activities that one can go for when on a holiday to Maldives, like going for wildlife tours, island hopping and others.
A wedding in Maldives is an experience worth remembering. The innumerable activity options will surely make your stay over here a remarkable one. To know more about the things to do in Maldives, one can try the following links:
Geography, Weather and Climate
The chain of 1190 little coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean that forms the archipelago of the Maldives in 80 – 120 km wide, stretching 860 km from latitude 7° 6”N to 0° 41” S and lying between 72° 32” and 73° 45”E. Out of the 1190 islands, only 201 islands are inhabited. Almost 99% of the country being the ocean, it is one of the most unique nations in the world.
A nation with less than one percent land and over 99 percent sea the weather obviously plays a significant role in day-to-day life. The Maldives has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year round and a great deal of sunshine.
The summer never ends in the Maldives . Although it is warm throughout the year there are slight variations in the temperature during certain periods determined by the monsoon from November to April is mostly dry with very little wind, while the Southwest monsoon from May to October brings some rain and the temperature varies very little.
The annual average daily temperature is between 30.4 and 25.4 degrees Celsius. The average rainfall is below 2mm per annum.
The warm tropical climate results in relatively minor variations in daily temperature throughout the year. Average temperature is 30 degrees celcius.
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Useful Words
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