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Location
Indian Ocean – southwest of Sri Lanka and straddling the equator
vertically from North to South.
Area: 90,000 square kilometers (1,190 islands).
Immediate Neighbors: India and Sri Lanka (both located northeast
of Maldives).
Latitude: 07 06'30" N to 00 41'48" S.
Longitude: 72 32'30" E to 73 45'54" E.
Political Status: Republic.
Capital: Male’ (area: 1.77 square kilometers).
Airport: Maldives International Airport on Hulhule Island, two
kilometers east of Male.
Religion: 100% Sunni Muslim.
Literacy Rate: 98.2% (age group 10-45 yrs).
Temperature: 30.4 C (mean maximum), 25.4 C (mean minimum).
Local Time: GMT + 5 hours
Monsoons: South-West (May – October) and North-East (November –
April).
Average Annual Rainfall: 1948.2 mm.
Electricity: 220 - 240 volts.
Credit Cards: American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard, JCB,
MasterCard, Visa.
National Tree: Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera).
National Flower: Pink Rose (Rosa pdyantha).
Major Industries: Tourism, fisheries, garments, boat building,
building construction and handicrafts.
Geography
1,190 coral islands, forming an archipelago of 26 major atolls.
Stretches 820 kilometers North to South and 130 kilometers East to West
at its widest point. 200 islands are inhabited and 87 islands are
exclusive tourist resorts.
Climate
Generally warm and humid. Sun shines all year through. Average
temperature varies between around 29 - 32 degrees Celsius.
What to Wear
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 wear modest clothing without revealing too
much.
Population
More than 270,000 according to the 1999 census. Origin of the
Maldivians is lost in antiquity, but history reveals that the islands
have been populated for over 3,000 years. Early settlers were travelers
on the Silk Route and from the Indus Valley Civilization. Inherently
warm, friendly and hospitable by nature, it is easy to feel comfortable
and relaxed with a Maldivian.
Culture
A proud history and rich culture evolved from the first settlers who
hailed from different parts of the world. The Maldives has been a
melting pot of different cultures as people from different parts of the
world came here and settled down in ancient times. Some of the local
music and dances for instance resemble African influences, with hand
beating of drums and songs in a language that is not known to any but
certainly represents that of East African countries. As one would
expect, there is great South Asian influence in some of the music and
dancing and especially in the traditional food of the Maldivians.
However many of the South Asian customs, especially with regard to
women - for instance the Sub Continent’s tradition of secluding women
from the public - are not tenets of life here. In fact women play a
major role in society - not surprising considering the fact that men in
rural islands spend the whole day out at sea fishing. Many of the
traditions are strongly related to the sea as life is dependent on the
seas around us.
Language
Dhivehi is the national language which is spoken in all parts of the
Maldives, however in certain cases in different dialects. English is
widely spoken by Maldivians and visitors can easily make themselves
understood getting around the capital island. In the resorts, a variety
of languages are spoken by the staff including English, German, French,
Italian and Japanese.
Economy
The Maldives’ economy has been growing at an annual average of 8% for
the past two decades. Tourism is the main industry, contributing close
to 40% of the GDP. Fisheries, trade and construction follow close
behind. The Maldivian economy is regarded as exemplary in the region
and welcomes foreign investment. The GDP per capita currently stands at
around US$ 2,300.00, which is a figure much higher than any other South
Asian economy.
Currency
The Maldivian monetary unit is the rufiyaa divided into 100 lari. The
exchange rate for US Dollar at the time of writing is Rf.12.75 to the
dollar. Rufiyaa bank notes come in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50,
100 and 500. Coins are in denominations of Rf.2.00, Rf.1.00 and 50, 20,
10, 5, 2 and 1 lari. 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, travelers’ cheques or credit cards.
Commonly used credit cards
are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro
Card.
In the early days cowry
shells were used instead of paper money. Coins, minted in silver, were
introduced for the first time in the late 16th century under the rule
of Sultan Al-Ghazee Mohammed Thakurufaanu. The present currency was
introduced in 7 October 1983.
There are no restrictions
on import or export of currencies. Major foreign currencies are
converted to Rufiyaa at banks, resort islands, hotels and prominent
shops.
Education
The functional literacy rate is 98%. Educational standards are among
the highest in the region and schools follow the British system of
education.
Health
Health care facilities are improving almost on a daily basis. The
Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ is the biggest hospital
in the country providing sophisticated medical care. ADK Hospital is
the biggest private health care facility and follows high medical
standards. Some resorts have in-house doctors. A decompression chamber
is within easy reach of most resorts in case of a diving emergency.
Business Hours
From Sunday to Thursday 7.30 - 14.30 in the government sector and
generally from 9.00 to 5.00 in the private sector. Although most
offices in the private sector open for a half day on Saturday, weekend
is Friday and Saturday.
Shopping
The capital Male being the centre of commercial activity is the ideal
place to shop. Shops open between 7.30 and 9.30 am, closing at 11 pm.
On Fridays they open at 1.30 pm, closing as usual. With minimum duty on
most of the items, prices in Male’ are competitive. Best buys include
handicrafts like reed mats and lacquered wooden boxes, electronic items
and souvenirs like coral rings and sea shells. Goods ranging from hi-fi
stereo systems and cameras to watches and cosmetics can be purchased
from well-stocked duty free shops at the Departure Terminal of Male
International Airport. In the capital, the STO Trade Centre with its
many shops is one place where you can find a variety of items. Shops
pull down their shutters for about 10 to 15 minutes, five times every
day, for prayers. Most shops on resort islands are open throughout the
day and close at dusk.
Air Transport
Apart from a number of major international carriers like Singapore
Airlines, Emirates, LTU, Lauda Air, Condor and many other flights that
operate to the Maldives on charter and scheduled flights, there are
also regular domestic flights operated by Island Aviation to
Hanimaadhoo, Kadhdhoo, Kaadhedhdhoo, and Gan islands. Air transport to
resorts are operated by Trans Maldivian Airways, and the Maldivian Air
Taxi, the latter having the largest fleet. Sight-seeing trips, flights
to uninhabited islands, photo-shooting trips, executive charters, and
medevac operations are also carried out by them.
Road Transport
Travel on most of the islands takes no more than half-an-hour on foot.
Bicycles and motorbikes are popular modes of transport in Male’ and
some other bigger island. Taxis are un-metered, charging Rf. 15.00, if
hailed on the road and Rf. 10.00 if hired via telephone.
Tourist Seasons
November through April being the peak season, reservations for stay
must be made well in advance. From May to October the demand and costs
for accommodation are comparatively lower. In June and July, the
Maldives experiences regular showers with monsoons bringing in more
wind and rain.
Social Customs
Handshaking is the most common form of greeting. Dress is informal.
Light cotton clothes are recommended. Nudity is forbidden. Swimsuits
and beachwear are to be confined to resort islands. When visiting an
inhabited island or the capital, shorts and T-shirts for men, and
blouses or T-shirts with skirts or shorts that cover the thighs, made
of non-diaphanous material, for women, are a minimum requirement.
Customs Regulations
It is prohibited by law to import alcoholic beverages, pornographic
material and literature, narcotics, firearms and idols of worship. With
the government imposing a ban on the killing of turtles, export of
tortoise shell and coral is forbidden.
Telecommunications
The telecom network linking the various islands of the Maldives
provides Plainline for local calls only, Easyline which includes
operator assisted international calls, and Quickline with full IDD
access world- wide; public and private card phones; mobile phone
service; facsimile, 24-hour telex, and worldwide telegram services; a
radio maritime service; a fully-automatic atoll communications service
to over 140 islands in 20 atolls; the National Paging Service;
fully-automatic telephone and telex Inmarsat service to ships and oil
rigs; internet dial-up service; Web Hosting and Domain Name
Registration service; Cyber Cafe, amongst a host of other services. The
facilities are provided by Dhiraagu, the Maldives telecom company which
is a joint venture between Cable & Wireless PLC of UK and the Maldives
government.
Newspapers
Aafathis, Haveeru, and Miadhu are the major daily newspapers, in
Dhivehi. All three also have pages in English. |
