About The Maldives

A string of pearls scattered over the deep blue Indian Ocean - the first glimpse you get of this fascinating atoll formation 99% of its 90,000 square km is covered by sea. 1190 islands are spread over 20 atolls, ring-like coral formations enclosing a lagoon, which give Maldives its unique paradise-like appearance. They stretch for about 820 km from North to South, 130 km at the widest point and do not exceed a length of 4.5 miles or an altitude of 6 feet above sea level.

The original settlers of the Maldives may have arrived in the islands as early as 3500 years ago. The islands lie in the center of major trading routes and attracted settlers from Arabia, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Arab traders en route to the Far East recorded visits to the Maldives from the 2nd century AD. They were known as the 'Money Isles', due to the abundance of cowry shells, which were used as a form of currency at that time.

In 1153 the country was converted to Islam by a visiting Islamic scholar Abdul Barakaath Yoosuf Al Barbary. According to the legend defeated a sea demon by reading from the Quran. The King of the Maldives was so impressed that he decreed the country's conversion to Islam. Islam remains the sole religion of the Maldives even today. For hundreds of years following the conversion to Islam, the country was ruled by a succession of Sultans.

Apart from a brief 15 year occupation by the Portuguese from 1558 - 1973, the Maldives has always been self governed. It became a British protectorate of 1887, an arrangement that lasted until 1965 when Maldives became independent. Three years later a republic was formed.

Today in Maldives there is a population of around 300,000 people living on approximately 200 inhabitant islands. As many as 80,000 people live on the capital island of Male. The main industry is tourism with almost 100 islands containing resorts.

Fishing, the mainstay of the traditional island life, still provides a sizeable proportion of the gross domestic product and job opportunities for the vast majority of the island population. Traditional trades such as boat building and handicrafts are also sources of employment as well as commerce and government services.

In addition to the regions bountiful fishing industry, tourism is a mainstay throughout the Maldives bringing in a sizeable income annually being a popular holiday and honeymoon retreat. More recently since the introduction of cruise tours around the islands, Maldives liveaboards are slowly becoming a popular way to spend ones vacation. Cruise tours make it easier to visit the premier dive spots and tour the capital without being anchored at a resort.

The local language in the Maldives is Dhivehi, a unique mixture of Sanskrit and Arabic. The script is written from right to left in common with Arabic. English is also widely spoken and many Maldivian schools now teach in English.