About the Maldives

Formed on top of mountain peaks emerging from the depths of the Indian Ocean, the islands of the Maldives are like dazzling gems scattered in the beautiful Indian Ocean. Many islands are fringed with palms trees, covered with lush tropical vegetation and surrounded by snow white beaches with warm clear turquoise lagoons. These unique islands also have the most breathtaking views of underwater life in the world. Marco Polo referred to the Maldives as the 'Flower of the Indies', and Ibn Batuta called her in his chronicles 'one of the wonders of the world.

The height of the islands rarely reaches above two meters, and the 1,190 islands consisting of 26 atoll formations spread over an area of 1,000,000 square kilometers. The Maldivian atolls are a classic discovery in their own right, and the word atoll is derived from Dhivehi, the Maldivian language, from the word atholhu. Only 200 islands are inhabited, and approximately 100 islands are set aside exclusively for tourist resorts. The closest neighbouring countries are India and Sri Lanka.

The origin of the Maldivian people is lost in ancient history, but there are historical and archaeological records which indicate the islands to have been inhabited for over 5,000 years. There are also indications that the Maldives were important trade routes, and over centuries many people settled there from all over the world. This therefore leaves the origins of the people enshrined in mystery.

The language spoken throughout the Maldives belongs to the Indo-Iranian group, and is called Dhivehi. It has strong Arabic influences, and Dhivehi written from right to left. As a second working language, English is widely used in government offices. Other foreign languages, however, are widely used within the tourism industry.

The Maldives has always been an independent country, except for a brief 15 year period and a 6 months period when the Portuguese rule in the middle of the 16th century. Between 1887 and 1965, the Maldives was a British protectorate though Britain did not interfere with the internal affairs of the country. Maldives regained her full sovereignty in 1965. The newly independent country changed from a Sultanate to a Republic on 11th November 1968, and the estimated population is 301,475.

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