Welcome to the Beautiful MaldivesThe Maldives (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ Dhivehi Raajje) [1] are an archipelago of 1,190 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 Maldives are formed of 26 atolls, or atholhu in Dhivehi — the source of the English word. These are not single islands, but giant ringlike coral formations hundreds of kilometers wide that have fragmented into countless islands.
Atoll naming is complex, as the atolls have both lengthy traditional Dhivehi names like Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi, and snappy code names like Baa that refer to administrative regions and may consist of more than one geographical atoll. The code names are actually just the letters of Dhivehi alphabet, but being rather easier to for non-Maldivians to remember and pronounce, the code names are popular in the travel industry and are hence also used on Wikitravel. Of the 20 administrative atoll groups, only (parts of) 10 are open to tourism, and from north to south these are:
* Lhaviyani (Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi)
* Raa (Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi)
* Baa (Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi)
* Kaafu (North and South Male Atoll) — site of the capital Male and the airport, home of most Maldivian resorts
* Alifu (Ari) — to the west of Kaafu, the second most popular group
* Vaavu (Felidhu)
* Meemu (Mulak)
* Faafu (Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi)
* Dhaalu (Nilandhe Atholhu Dhekunuburi)
* Seenu (Addu) — the southernmost atoll, the second-largest in population and site of Gan International Airport
The other atolls are Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Laamu, Nyavinani, Seenu, Shaviyani, and Thaa.
Tourism
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. Almost 400,000 tourists visited the islands in 1998. Fishing is a second leading sectorCulture
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.
