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Location
Indian Ocean – southwest of Sri Lanka and straddling the equator
vertically from North to South.
Area: 90,000 square kilometers (1,190 islands).
Immediate Neighbors: India and Sri Lanka (both located northeast of
Maldives).
Latitude: 07 06'30" N to 00 41'48" S.
Longitude: 72 32'30" E to 73 45'54" E.
Political Status: Republic.
Capital: Male’ (area: 1.77 square kilometers).
Airport: Maldives International Airport on Hulhule Island, two
kilometers east of Male.
Religion: 100% Sunni Muslim.
Literacy Rate: 98.2% (age group 10-45 yrs).
Temperature: 30.4 C (mean maximum), 25.4 C (mean minimum).
Local Time: GMT + 5 hours
Monsoons: South-West (May – October) and North-East (November –
April).
Average Annual Rainfall: 1948.2 mm.
Electricity: 220 - 240 volts.
Credit Cards: American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard, JCB,
MasterCard, Visa.
National Tree: Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera).
National Flower: Pink Rose (Rosa pdyantha).
Major Industries: Tourism, fisheries, garments, boat building,
building construction and handicrafts.
Population
More than 270,000 according to the 1999 census. Origin of the Maldivians
is lost in antiquity, but history reveals that the islands have been
populated for over 3,000 years. Early settlers were travelers on the Silk
Route and from the Indus Valley Civilization. Inherently warm, friendly
and hospitable by nature, it is easy to feel comfortable and relaxed with
a Maldivian.
Culture
A proud history and rich culture evolved from the first settlers who
hailed from different parts of the world. The Maldives has been a melting
pot of different cultures as people from different parts of the world came
here and settled down in ancient times. Some of the local music and dances
for instance resemble African influences, with hand beating of drums and
songs in a language that is not known to any but certainly represents that
of East African countries. As one would expect, there is great South Asian
influence in some of the music and dancing and especially in the
traditional food of the Maldivians. However many of the South Asian
customs, especially with regard to women - for instance the Sub
Continent’s tradition of secluding women from the public - are not tenets
of life here. In fact women play a major role in society - not surprising
considering the fact that men in rural islands spend the whole day out at
sea fishing. Many of the traditions are strongly related to the sea as
life is dependent on the seas around us.
Language
Dhivehi is the national language which is spoken in all parts of the
Maldives, however in certain cases in different dialects. English is
widely spoken by Maldivians and visitors can easily make themselves
understood getting around the capital island. In the resorts, a variety of
languages are spoken by the staff including English, German, French,
Italian and Japanese.
Economy
The Maldives’ economy has been growing at an annual average of 8% for the
past two decades. Tourism is the main industry, contributing close to 40%
of the GDP. Fisheries, trade and construction follow close behind. The
Maldivian economy is regarded as exemplary in the region and welcomes
foreign investment. The GDP per capita currently stands at around US$
2,300.00, which is a figure much higher than any other South Asian
economy.
Currency
The Maldivian monetary unit is the rufiyaa divided into 100 lari. The
exchange rate for US Dollar at the time of writing is Rf.12.75 to the
dollar. Rufiyaa bank notes come in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100
and 500. Coins are in denominations of Rf.2.00, Rf.1.00 and 50, 20, 10, 5,
2 and 1 lari. The US Dollar is the most commonly used foreign currency.
Payments in the resorts and hotels can be made in most hard currency in
cash, travelers’ cheques or credit cards.
Commonly used credit cards are
American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card.
In the early days cowry shells were used instead of paper money. Coins,
minted in silver, were introduced for the first time in the late 16th
century under the rule of Sultan Al-Ghazee Mohammed Thakurufaanu. The
present currency was introduced in 7 October 1983.
There are no
restrictions on import or export of currencies. Major foreign currencies
are converted to Rufiyaa at banks, resort islands, hotels and prominent
shops.
Education
The functional literacy rate is 98%. Educational standards are among the
highest in the region and schools follow the British system of education.
Health
Health care facilities are improving almost on a daily basis. The Indira
Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ is the biggest hospital in the
country providing sophisticated medical care. ADK Hospital is the biggest
private health care facility and follows high medical standards. Some
resorts have in-house doctors. A decompression chamber is within easy
reach of most resorts in case of a diving emergency.
Business Hours
From Sunday to Thursday 7.30 - 14.30 in the government sector and
generally from 9.00 to 5.00 in the private sector. Although most offices
in the private sector open for a half day on Saturday, weekend is Friday
and Saturday.
Shopping
The capital Male being the centre of commercial activity is the ideal
place to shop. Shops open between 7.30 and 9.30 am, closing at 11 pm. On
Fridays they open at 1.30 pm, closing as usual. With minimum duty on most
of the items, prices in Male’ are competitive. Best buys include
handicrafts like reed mats and lacquered wooden boxes, electronic items
and souvenirs like coral rings and sea shells. Goods ranging from hi-fi
stereo systems and cameras to watches and cosmetics can be purchased from
well-stocked duty free shops at the Departure Terminal of Male
International Airport. In the capital, the STO Trade Centre with its many
shops is one place where you can find a variety of items. Shops pull down
their shutters for about 10 to 15 minutes, five times every day, for
prayers. Most shops on resort islands are open throughout the day and
close at dusk.
Air Transport
Apart from a number of major international carriers like Singapore
Airlines, Emirates, LTU, Lauda Air, Condor and many other flights that
operate to the Maldives on charter and scheduled flights, there are also
regular domestic flights operated by Island Aviation to Hanimaadhoo,
Kadhdhoo, Kaadhedhdhoo, and Gan islands. Air transport to resorts are
operated by Trans Maldivian Airways, and the Maldivian Air Taxi, the
latter having the largest fleet. Sight-seeing trips, flights to
uninhabited islands, photo-shooting trips, executive charters, and medevac
operations are also carried out by them.
Road Transport
Travel on most of the islands takes no more than half-an-hour on foot.
Bicycles and motorbikes are popular modes of transport in Male’ and some
other bigger island. Taxis are un-metered, charging Rf. 15.00, if hailed
on the road and Rf. 10.00 if hired via telephone.
Telecommunications
The telecom network linking the various islands of the Maldives provides
Plainline for local calls only, Easyline which includes operator assisted
international calls, and Quickline with full IDD access world- wide;
public and private card phones; mobile phone service; facsimile, 24-hour
telex, and worldwide telegram services; a radio maritime service; a
fully-automatic atoll communications service to over 140 islands in 20
atolls; the National Paging Service; fully-automatic telephone and telex
Inmarsat service to ships and oil rigs; internet dial-up service; Web
Hosting and Domain Name Registration service; Cyber Cafe, amongst a host
of other services. The facilities are provided by Dhiraagu, the Maldives
telecom company which is a joint venture between Cable & Wireless PLC of
UK and the Maldives government.
Newspapers
Aafathis, Haveeru, and Miadhu are the major daily newspapers, in Dhivehi.
All three also have pages in English.
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