About Maldives | Faalan Travels & Tours Maldives

About Maldives

‘The Necklace of Indian Ocean’ is what people describe Maldives. The Maldivian archipelago located 300 miles southwest of the southern tip of Indiaand 450 miles west of Sri Lanka. It is a beautiful string of 1,1 90 low-lying coral islands scattered across the equator in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, giving us a rare glimpse of what is aptly described as a tropical paradise. The sparkling white sun-kissed beaches; crystal-clear lagoons studded with profusely-coloured corals; azure warm seas with an undisturbed, exotic marine life; palm-fringed islands; the pervading serenity of Maldives make it a heavenly gateway for visitors seeking happiness and pleasure of the most spectacular and colourful vistas offered by Nature. The natural beauty with all the comforts and warmth exuded by traditional Maldivian hospitality, makes Maldives the ultimate destination, the future world for holiday-makers.

History

The Maldives has been an independent state throughout its known history, except for a brief period of 15 years of Portuguese occupation in the 16th century. The Maldives became a British Protectorate in 1887 and remained so until 26 July 1965. The independent Maldives reverted from a Sultanate to a Republic on 11th November 1968.

People & Culture

The origins of the people enshrined in mystery. It is suggested the islands were being inhabited as early as 1500BC, when the first settlers arrived from Sri Lanka and South India. There are also indications that the Maldives, being on an important trade route, was settled by people from all over the world. It could be summed up that, the physical features of Maldivians and supported by historical evidence of migration, Maldivians are predominantly Aryan or Dravidian. Early history saw Hindhusim and Buddhism in Maldivesbefore Maldives embraced Islam in 1153 AD.

Culturally Maldives have some affinity with Indian and Sri Lankan. The songs, and dances have close proximity with Indian music. The most popular cultural performance is Bodu Beru (literally Big Drum) are said to have African roots. Other performances include carnival like costumes such as Maali Neshun, Bey, Bodu Mas. The costumes are made with palm frond and sack cloth, and some of them look quite spectacular.

Language

Throughout the Maldives a language which belongs to the Indo-Iranian group, Dhivehi, is spoken. It shows a strong Arabic influence. Dhivehi written from right to left is the official language of the country. As a second working language, English is widely used in government offices. Other foreign languages, such as Italian, German, Japanese, are widely used within the tourism industry. Foreign languages, mainly English, are also frequently used in commerce.

Entry

No prior visa arrangements are required. A tourist visa of 30 days will be given to visitors with valid travel documents, on arrival. Visitors should be in possession of at least US$25 per day of stay in the Maldives. For those coming from yellow fever infected regions, an international certificate of inoculation is required. A passenger service fee of US$10 is levied per person, on departure.

Area : 90,000 sq.kms (1,190 islands).

Geographical Location : Indian Ocean, near India and Srilanka.

Latitude : 07° 06'30" N to 00° 41'48" S.

Longitude : 72° 32'30" E to 73° 45'54" E.

Status : Republic.

Population : 2,38,368 (1993 official estimate)

Capital : Malé (Area : 1.77 sq.kms).

Maldives Standard Time : +5 hrs GMT

Religion : 100% Sunni Muslim.

Languages : Dhivehi, English.

Literacy Rate : 98.2% (Age group 10-45 yrs)

Temperature : 30.4° C (Mean Max), 25.4° C (Mean Min).