Maldives Introduction

The Republic of Maldives is an island nation consisting of approximately 1190 coral islands, grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls. The territory spreads over roughly 90 000 square km, making this one of the most dispersed countries in the world and the smallest country in Asia. Malé is the largest and the capital city of The Republic of Maldives with a population of 103 693.

Tourism

The Maldives’ resorts have increased from 2 resorts in 1972 to 92 resorts in 2007. In 2007, over 8 380 000 tourist visited Maldives. The culture of Maldives is heavily influenced by Sri Lanka and southern India. The official language is Dhivehi, but English is widely used in commerce. Maldivians are mostly Sunni Muslim, banning alcohol, pork, dogs and public observance of non-Muslim religions on the inhabited island, while the resort islands allow all of these. Weekends in the Maldives run from Friday to Saturday, during which banks, government offices and many of the shops are closed. At the resorts, this is not the case, except that the lunch hours are shifted for prayers on Fridays.

Airport

Coordinates:  04°11′30″N 073°31′45″E

The Malé International Airport, is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island, nearby the capital island Malé. It is main gateway into the Maldives for tourists.

Airlines

The following airlines offer flights from Johannesburg (OR Tambo International Airport) to the Maldives.

• Emirates
• Etihad Airways
• Lufthansa
• Qatar Airways
• SAA
• Singapore Airlines

What to see / do

• The city of Malé
• The Malé National Museum
• Hukuru Miskiiy
• Malé  Artificial Beach
• Esjehi Gallery
• Male Fish Market
• Excursions of Maldives
• Mulee-aage Palace

Events

• Fishermen's Day – Celebrating to emphasise the importance of fishing to the Maldivian economy and the livelihood of Maldivians. 
• Huravee Day – A festival of food, music, and dance, blending traditional and modern entertainment.
• Hay Festival Maldives – A festival of Literature, art, science, drama, music and poetry.

Accommodation

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General Info

Maldives is known for its amazing corals and diversity of sea life with more than 2000 species of fish. These species range from reef fish, reef sharks, moray eels and many different rays as well as the whale shark.

Weather

The Maldives has a tropical climate with sunshine and temperatures of around 30°C all year round. Rainfall mainly occurs during the months of June to August with an annual rainfall averag of 2,540 millimetres in the north and 3,810 millimetres in the south. Humidity is relatively high, but cool sea breezes make this bearable.