Maldives

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Country Name

The Maldives, or officially the Republic of Maldives.

Location

The Maldives is a small island nation in South Asia, situated in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean.

It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 700 kilometers from the Asian continent's mainland.

Capital

Malé.

Reason for Naming

The first Kingdom of the Maldives was known as Dheeva Maari. The name Maldives may also derive from Sanskrit mālā (garland) and dvīpa (island), or Maala Divaina ("Necklace Islands") in Sinhala. The Maldivian people are called Dhivehin. The word Dheeb/Deeb (archaic Dhivehi, related to Sanskrit द्वीप, dvīpa) means "island", and Dhives (Dhivehin) means "islanders" (i.e., Maldivians).

Flag

The current flag was adopted on 25 July 1965. The first use of the flag design was in 1926.

The flag consists of Red, green and white colors. The background is red containing a green rectangle with a white crescent facing the flag side.

The red color represents the boldness of the nation's heroes, and their willingness to sacrifice every drop of blood in defense of their country. The green color represents peace and prosperity.

The white crescent moon represents the Islamic faith of the state and authorities.

Language

The official and common languages are Dhivehi or Maldivian. (an Indo-Aryan language closely related to the Sinhala language of Sri Lanka.) Although the country has several other dialects, which include Mulaku, Huvadhu, Maliku, and Addu, Dhivehi remains the dominant language in the Maldives. English is widely spoken by the locals of the Maldives. Following the nation's opening to the outside world, the introduction of English as a medium of instruction at the secondary and tertiary level of education, and its government's recognition of the opportunities offered through tourism, English has now firmly established itself in the country.

Religion

Islam is the official religion of the Maldives. It replaced Buddhism as the country’s predominant religion after the 12th century. Freedom of religion is officially non-existent in the Maldives as all citizens of the country are required to be Muslims. The law of the country prohibits its citizens from practicing any other religion than Islam. The President of the country must be Muslim. Non-Muslims cannot vote or be granted citizenship in the Maldives. Non-Muslims cannot influence the Maldivians to convert to other religions or practice their own religions in public. Citizens who deny Islam in the country can be subjected to capital punishment.

Currency

Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR).

Time Zone

+05:00 GMT.

Government Regime

Unitary presidential republic.

Climate

The Maldives has a tropical climate, hot all year round, and influenced by the monsoons.

The southwest monsoon, from late April to September, it's stronger on the northern islands, and it's accompanied by the wind, which can make the sea rough and therefore may discourage activities such as diving, and it's also accompanied by higher humidity and more frequent cloudiness.

The northeast monsoon, from October to December, it's quieter and simply brings showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening, especially in the southern atolls. The driest period, outside the monsoons, runs from January to April and is felt more on the northern atolls.

The temperatures are stable: highs are around 30 °C and lows are around 25 °C most of the year. The relative humidity is high and stable throughout the year as well, around 80%. However, between February and May, there is a slight increase in temperature and in the feeling of sultriness as well, especially in the northern atolls; in fact, in this period, the maximum temperature rises to 31/32 °C, and the minimum temperature to 26/27 °C.

International Phone Code

+960

Internet Code

.mv

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