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Quick Facts |
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| Southwest
of Sri Lanka, on the equator.
26 main natural atolls comprising 1,190 coral islands
make up the Maldives. Of these, about 200 islands are inhabited.
Tourist resorts number 87.The archipelago is located south to
south west of Sri Lanka and India. The length of the republic
820 kilometers and the breadth 120 kilometers. Of these, about
200 are inhabited, Tourist resorts number 87. |
| The
Maldives is usually warm and humid throughout the year. Sunny
days are around all year. Average temperature fluctuates between
24 and 32 degrees Celsius. For
more details Click here. |
| Maldivians
generally dress casually. T-shirts and cotton clothes are highly
recommended. Modesty is encouraged and women should be careful
not to offend local senses with overexposure. |
| The
population of the country is about 270,000 (1998 estimate).
Though the origins of the settlement of the islands lie lost in
time, there is evidence that the islands were inhabited 3000
years ago. The Silk
Route and the Indus Valley Civilization appear to have played a
significant role in the habitation of the country. Maldivians
are normally very outgoing and hospitable. |
| The
Maldives exhibits a mixed culture. Music, customs, arts and
culture from the African continent, from the Orient, from South
Asia, from Arabia and even as far as China are believed to have
influence Maldivian culture. Today the country has its own unique Islamic culture. |
| Dhivehi
is the only language spoken in the country as a native tongue.
English is widely spoken. People
employed in the hospitality industry often speak German, French,
Italian, Japanese, and a few other languages. |
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With a 10% average annual growth rate per annum for the past two
decades, the Maldivian economy is very healthy. Tourism is the
major industry with fisheries and trade following close behind.
The Maldivian economy has been regarded as an example in the
region. The country welcomes foreign investment. |
| The
Maldivian currency is the Rufiyaa. One Rufiyaa is equivalent to
100 laarees. Rufiyaa bank notes come in denominations of 2, 5,
10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. Coins are in denominations of MRf.2.00,
MRf.1.00, 50 laarees, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 laaree. Most major
foreign currencies are accepted with the US Dollar used as the
benchmark. Travelers’ Checks and credit cards are widely
accepted. The commonly used credit cards are American Express,
Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card. |
| The
functional literacy rate in the country is 98%. Educationally,
the country boats one of the highest standards in the highest in
the region and schools usually follow the British system of
education. There is a national curriculum. |
| Health
care facilities available in the country are also on a healthy
development run. The
largest hospital in the country is the Indhira Gandhi Memorial
Hospital (IGMH) in Male’, followed by the privately run ADK
Hospital. Regional hospitals and health centers provide adequate
backup Maldives wide. Some tourist resorts have their own
in-house doctors. For divers, decompression chamber facilities
are within adequate reach. |
| Sunday
through Thursday from 7.30am to 2.30pm
are official hours in the government sector. Private
enterprises are usually open from 9.00am
to 5.00pm on the same days, and often for a half day on
Saturday as well. Friday and Saturday comprise the weekend. |
| The
Maldives is reasonably well served as far as communications are
concerned. The fixed phone line service, as well as mobile phone
services are still expanding. IDD and the Internet, along with
telex, fax and VHF/UHF radio make the Maldives very
inter-connected. |
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