The Maldives are an archipelago of 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts) in the Indian Ocean. They lie south-southwest of India and are considered part of Southern Asia. The population was 359,008 (July 2006 est) and is expected to be 600,000 by 2010. The largest city and capital is Male. It has a very high population density with an average of 10 people per household.
History
Formerly a Sultanate under Dutch and British protection, the Maldives are now a republic. Long ruled over with an iron fist by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who did not hesitate to jail dissidents and was re-elected five times in more or less rigged elections, resistance to his rule culminated in violent rioting in 2003 and 2004. Under international pressure, free and fair elections were finally held in 2008, and Gayoom gracefully conceded defeat to opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, “Anni”. Following protests that started on May 1, 2011, Mohamed Nasheed was forced to resign from office on February 7, 2012, despite being a non corrupt government.
The Tsunami of 26 December 2004 caused extensive damage to the Maldives – of a population of only 290,000, over a third was directly affected by the tsunami and more than 15,000 people were left homeless. The economic damage alone was over 62% of the GDP or US$470 million.
Economy
Tourism, Maldives largest industry, accounts for 20% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives’ foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Over 600,000 tourists visited the islands in 2006. Fishing is a second leading sector. Canning fish especially tuna is the main industry. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a minor role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labor. Some islands are recognized as agricultural and usually specialize in certain crops: watermelons and chilis, bananas and mango, tomatoes, beans, grains such as millet and sorghum, yams and taro, pumpkins and luffa, and coconuts. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 18% of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and possible global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is one meter or less above sea level. Fresh water is decreasing and the country will depend on desalination in the future.
Culture
Maldivians are almost entirely Sunni Muslim, and the local culture is a mixture of South Indian, Sinhalese and Arab influences. While alcohol, pork, dogs and public observance of non-Muslim religions are banned on the inhabited islands, the resort islands are allowed to exist in a bubble where anything goes. Note that the weekend in the Maldives runs from Friday to Saturday, during which banks, government offices and many shops are closed. You won’t notice this at the resorts though, except that lunch hours may be shifted for Friday prayers.
Climate
The Maldives are tropical, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures around 30°C throughout the year. However, rainfall increases considerably during the April-October southwest monsoon, particularly from June to August.
Regions
The Maldives are formed of 26 atolls, or atholhu in Dhivehi — the source of the English word and the only Maldivian word that has entered the English language. These are not single islands, but giant ringlike coral formations enclosing a lagoon and surrounded by open sea. The coral formations have fragmented into countless islands. The largest atoll, Huvadhoo, is 65km wide and 82km long, while Thoddoo, the smallest, is about 1.8km in diameter. The country is 820 km long and 130 km wide. They are spread in a north south direction between latitude 7″6’30degreesN and 0degrees42’30″S. The total area is about 900,000 sq km but less than .5% is dry land. Of the 20 administrative atoll groups, only (parts of) 10 are open to tourism. Depths within the atolls usually vary between 30-50m. At a height of 3m, Hulhumale is considered the highest island in the Maldives. The tidal range is about .7m.
Travel
The Maldives have a remarkably easy visa policy. Everybody gets a free 30-day visa on arrival, provided that they have a valid travel document, a ticket out and proof of sufficient funds, defined as either a confirmed reservation in any resort or US$100 + $50/day in cash. Importing alcohol, pork or pornography (very broadly defined) into the Maldives is forbidden and all luggage is X-rayed on arrival. By plane practically all visitors arrive at Malé International Airport located on Hulhulé Island right next to the capital Male. The airport is served by a wide array of flights to China, India, Sri Lanka, Dubai and major airports in South-East Asia, as well as an increasing number of charters from Europe. Many flights stop in Colombo (Sri Lanka) on the way. By boat, there are no regular passenger boats to the Maldives. Even yachts usually steer clear, as navigating around the reefs is hazardous and permits are expensive. Getting around in the Maldives takes three forms: boats, sea planes (air taxis) and private yachts. The boats are the Maldivian equivalent of a car, while planes and private yachts are mainly reserved for tourists. By plane, no point in the Maldives is more than 90 minutes away from Male, and visitors to the more far-flung resorts use air taxi services. By boat The taxi boats generally take tourists to and from the islands in the North and South Male atolls.
Language
Maldivian Dhivehi, a close relative of Sinhala (spoken in Sri Lanka) but with borrowings from Urdu, Hindi, Arabic and many other languages, is the official language. It is written in a remarkable hybrid script called Thaana, which uses Arabic and Indic numbers as the base of the alphabet, written from right to left with Arabic vowel signs. The script is thought to have originated as a secret code for writing magical formulas so that outsiders couldn’t read them, which would also explain why the ordering of the alphabet is, as far as linguists can tell, completely random!
English is widely spoken, particularly by government officials and those working in the tourism industry. English is the language of instruction in schools, which means that you will be able to communicate with the locals with varying degrees of difficulty. Since Maldives happen to be a popular destination for German and Italian holiday goers, a sizeable number of local resort workers are able to speak fluent German and Italian.
Diving and Snorkelling
Aside from making the water bungalow rock on your honeymoon, the primary activity on the Maldives is scuba diving. The atolls are all coral reefs hundreds of kilometres away from any major landmass, meaning that water clarity is excellent and underwater life is abundant. There are about 1000 species of fish. Manta rays, sharks, even a few wrecks, you name it, can be found in the Maldives. While diving is very good by world standards even in the immediate vicinity of Male, visibility and the chance of encountering large pelagics increases as you head to the outer atolls. Many divers opt for live aboards, which can actually work out much cheaper than paying high resort fees. Currents vary considerably, with generally little inside the atolls but some strong currents are found on the sides facing the open sea, half of the time the currents will take you straight out into the Indian Ocean. Water in the Maldives is warm throughout the year. The best time for scuba diving is from January to April, when the sea is calm, the sun is shining and the visibility can reach 30 m. The one downside to diving in the Maldives is that it’s quite expensive by Asian standards. but in general, you’ll be looking at around US$50 for a single boat dive with your own gear and closer to US$75 without.
Surfing The Maldives is becoming an increasingly popular surfing destination. Turquoise water and perfect waves makes it an ideal and uncrowded destination for surfers looking for smooth surfing conditions.
Money
The local currency is the Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR, Rf), divided into 100 laari. However, by law resorts price services in US dollars and require payment in hard currency (or credit card), so there’s absolutely no need to change money if you’re going to spend all your time at the resorts. If you are heading to Male or the other inhabited atolls, exchanging some rufiyaa will come in handy. The coins, in particular, are quite attractive and make an interesting souvenir in themselves.
Costs and Accommodation
There’s no way around it: the Maldives is expensive, and there is limited budget accommodation or transport. As of 2004, there were 88 resorts (with 37 under construction) and 117 live aboard vessels, 24 guest houses and 9 hotels. Resorts have a monopoly on services for their guests and charge accordingly: for mid-range resorts, $1000 per week per couple is a conservative budget for meals, drinks and excursions, above and beyond the cost of flights and accommodation. Practically anything — including hotel rooms if booked locally — gets slapped with an arbitrary 10% “service charge”, but tips are expected on top. There are a few Inns and B&B on the more populated atolls for the budget minded travelers. Tap water in resorts may or may not be drinkable – check with management. Bottled water is extortionately priced, with US$5/bottle being typical.
Aside from the capital Male, there are no hotels in the Maldives, only resorts. Most resorts take up their own island (1500x1500m to 250x250m), meaning that the ratio of beach to guests must be one of the best in the world and it is hard to imagine that you would ever have to struggle to find your own private piece of beach to relax on. Many have a “no shoes” policy and with such soft sands it is easy to love this idea. Many resorts, especially the smaller dive-oriented ones, cater largely to a single nationality, leading to “Italian” resorts, “Dutch” resorts, “German” resorts, etc. While almost all welcome any nationality and have some English-speaking staff on hand, you may be cut off from any evening entertainment and have problems eg. diving if you don’t speak the local lingo.
Health
The Maldives are malaria-free, but some islands do have mosquitoes and catching dengue fever from them is possible, albeit highly unlikely. Most of the problems come from diving or sun related injuries. Heat stroke always cause problems in the tropics