Facts - The Maldives - Geography & Climate - History Religion & culture - People & Language -
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Nation of islands
A string of “pearls” scattered over a carpet that is the deep blue Indian Ocean - the first glimpse you get of this fascinating atoll formation confirms two unique aspects of the Republic of Maldives: not only does it consist of the most beautiful tropical islands, but 99% of its 90.000 km² surface area is covered by the sea.

1,190 islands are spread over 26 atolls natural atolls, ring-like coral formations enclosing a lagoon, which gives the Maldives its unique appearance. They stretch for about 820 km from North to South, 130 km from East to West at the widest point and do not exceed a length of 4.5 miles or an altitude of 6 feet above sea level.

No more than 200 islands are inhabited, another 87 islands are dedicated as tourist resorts and the rest are all uninhabited islands, some of which are used for drying fish or other agricultural activities.

The capital Malé, the seat of government and the centre of trade, commerce, business, health and education, is located at the southern tip of the northern portion of Male’ atoll, a small island buzzing with the sounds and activities of about 75.000 people which is about one third of the population of the Maldives.

Atoll Formation
The atolls of the Maldives are formed from coral structures, separated by lagoons. The atolls are in fact part of a greater structure known as the Laccadives-Chagos Ridge, which stretches over 2,000 kilometers. The islands are low lying with the highest point standing at approximately 8 feet above sea level. Faru or ring-shaped reef structures form the atolls and these reefs provide natural defenses against wind and wave action, on these delicate islands.

Protecting our Environment
“Think globally, act locally”

White sandy beaches sparkling in the sun alongside crystal clear lagoons would be an idyllic place to spend a perfect holiday. While this is true in most aspects, the degree of fragility of our environment is gaining much attention within national and international levels. The fragile marine and terrestrial environment including the reefs and bio-diversity would be greatly affected unless the environment is carefully managed. The beauty and natural resources of these islands are strongly linked with economic development of the country. Such awareness has raised many concerns and the government is taking extensive measures towards protecting the environment.

In 1989 the first National Environmental Action Plan was developed forming a base for future actions to prevent environmental hazards. Over exploitation of natural resources are restricted. For example coral mining is banned in certain areas. Killing of turtles, which is under threat of extinction, is banned and visitors are discouraged from buying objects made from turtle shell. The entire capital island is enclosed with sea walls, a protection measure to reduce the impending hazards of climatic change and sea level rise. Projects on regeneration of ecosystems are conducted in some areas and a “Million Tree Program” was initiated by the President of Maldives, His Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul-Gayyoom in 1996. Small nurseries are established in atolls to spread the program countrywide and many trees have been planted all over the country in an effort to “greening the environment”. Sport fishing practiced by some islands is now confined to tag and release method.

“Independent Maldives, Clean Maldives”

In 1997 many activities were carried out under the theme “Independent Maldives, Clean Maldives” where cleaning and waste collecting programs were carried out nationwide. The spirit still continues in an effort to keep our environment clean. Many resort islands retain the natural vegetation providing an environmentally sound atmosphere in the island. While effective waste management would completely take shape after a few years, efforts are made to reduce risks of environmental health problems. The concept of recycling is progressively taking shape and composting is gradually introduced in agriculture.

Maldives proudly hosted the ministerial level “Small States Conference on Sea Level Rise” in 1989 calling for many actions which are incorporated in the Male’ Declaration issued at the closing of the conference. Also, the Maldives participated in the Second World Climatic Conference in 1990 and the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. In 1994 Maldives participated in the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and in 1997 participated in the Kyoto Conference. Also in 1997 the 13th Inter-governmental Panel on Climatic Change was held in the Maldives. Apart from these conferences, the Government has attended small preparatory meetings on environment.

The Maldives’ approach to environmental issues, as with many other small states, stays in harmony with the concept: “think globally, act locally”.