Maldives

According to countryaah, the Maldives is a republic in the Indian Ocean that consists of about 1,200 islands. The islands are mainly loved and famous by the tourists. These come here in great numbers to enjoy all that the country has to offer. The tourism sector is therefore the country’s main source of income. In addition, fishing and shipbuilding are important economic pillars.

Not much is known about the earliest history of the country. There is quite a bit of discussion about what is known. According to one source, the country has been inhabited for almost seven thousand years and other sources report that the first people arrived here about five hundred BC. The Maldives has long been a Buddhist country until a king converted the entire country to Islam in the twelfth century AD. One hundred percent of the inhabitants are still Muslim.

The Maldives has long been an independent country. There were several European rulers in the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but they never stayed long on the islands. In the seventeenth century, even the Dutch still controlled the government for a few years. This independence came to an end at the end of the nineteenth century when the Maldives became a British Protectorate. It would take until 1965 that the country regained its self-government and not long after, the Republic of Maldives was proclaimed.

In 2004, the Maldives, like many other countries in the Indian Ocean, were badly hit by a tsunami. During this tsunami, about 75 people were killed and a total of thirty-two islands were destroyed.

The Maldives is a popular holiday destination these days. Who doesn’t know those idyllic images of a white beach with the stilt houses in the sea in front of it. Most tourists come to the islands to enjoy the beach, the sun, the sea and the beautiful marine life that can be found around the islands. If you don’t have a diving certificate yet, there are plenty of places here where you can get one.

Sights

The main attractions of the Maldives are the beautiful white beaches and the beautiful underwater life that can be found around the many hundreds of islands. For many tourists, this is also their main goal when visiting the Maldives. Of course, the country has more to offer, but most tourists don’t get that far. The capital Malé is quite a transition if you have just come off an almost uninhabited island. More than a hundred thousand people live in the city, all of whom live on a small and fully built-up island. Highlights in this city are the National Maldives Museum, the Friday Mosque and the Hukurum Mosque. The Friday Mosque is the tallest building in the country and is regulated by law to remain so. There are two major shopping centers in the city, the Chandhanee Magu and the Majeedhee Magu.

But as mentioned, the country’s most popular attraction is the many beautiful coral reefs that can be found there. The water around the islands is particularly clear, so you have a beautiful wide view of the beautiful underwater life around the islands. Dolphins also live in the waters around the Maldives and if you go diving here, there is a good chance that you will encounter one or more.

Characteristic for the Maldives are the stilt houses built in the sea.

UNESCO

There are no places, sights, parks or nature reserves that belong to the Maldives on the World Heritage List.

Climate

The Maldives has a tropical monsoon climate with a lot of precipitation throughout the year. Nevertheless, a wet and a dry period can clearly be distinguished. The rainy season here runs from April to early December. In the other months of the year there is also quite a bit of precipitation here, but significantly less than in the rainy period. The months of June, July, September and October are the wettest months of the year. During these months, more than two hundred millimeters of precipitation falls. However, don’t let this distract you too much, because most precipitation in the Maldives is short and heavy. You can often take your place on the beach again after a few minutes. Nevertheless, in the winter period when the least precipitation falls here is the time that most tourists stay on the islands. The average temperature is around thirty degrees Celsius all year round. Due to the ever-present sea breeze, the average humidity in the Maldives is not that bad, but it will be a lot higher than we are used to in the Netherlands.

The water temperature here is very pleasant and even warm all year round. The average sea temperature here is just above twenty-eight degrees Celsius. Due to its location not far from the equator, the solar power in the Maldives is much greater than we are used to. It is therefore also to the touch to regularly lubricate with sunscreen with a very high protection factor.

Geography

The Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean about 700 kilometers from Sri Lanka. There are no other countries or inhabited islands in the immediate vicinity of this archipelago. The country consists of approximately 1,200 islands divided into twenty-six atolls. The total land area of ​​the Maldives is just under three hundred square kilometers. The country’s largest island is only five square kilometers in size, and there are only nine islands that are larger than two square kilometers. The Maldives is also known as the flattest country in the world with the highest point of the country only three meters above sea level. This is also the country’s biggest problem.

Of the 1,200 islands, about 200 are permanently inhabited. Other islands have been made habitable for tourists and it is even possible to rent your own private island here. The capital, Malé, is located on the island of Male, which belongs to the Kaafu Atoll. The less than two square kilometer atoll is completely built up. About a third of the country’s total population lives on this island. Other major cities in the Maldives are Hithadhoo, Kulhudhuffushi, Thinadhoo and Naifaru. There are no permanent rivers or lakes in the Maldives.

Travel advice

The official travel advice for the Maldives has been on the status of “be extra vigilant” for some years now. This is mainly due to the demonstrations that are regularly held in the capital Malé. It is best to avoid these demonstrations or other gatherings. It is prohibited to take pictures of strategic and military installations in the Maldives. Homosexuality is prohibited in the Maldives, and there are severe penalties for openly practicing it. It is advisable to exercise restraint in public spaces. There is no serious crime in the Maldives, but it is still advisable to take good care of your personal belongings and to keep them in a safe as much as possible.

Travel documents

To enter the Maldives, you must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months on the day of departure. A visa is not required if you want to stay in the country for less than thirty days. If you want to stay longer in the Maldives, you will have to apply for a visa at the Embassy of the Maldives in Belgium or at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Netherlands. No vaccinations are required for a trip to the Maldives. Vaccinations against jaundice, typhoid fever and DTP are, however, recommended by us.

Info table

Capital city Small
Phone (country code) 960
Internetdomein .mv
Language(s) (official) Dhivehi
Language(s) (colloquial) Dhivehi en Engels
Religion(s) Sunni
Time zone(s) UTC+5
Time difference summer in the Maldives it is 3 hours later than in the Netherlands
Time difference winter in the Maldives it is 4 hours later than in the Netherlands
Daylight Saving Time Control nee
Currency ruyiyaa

Maldives