Maldives

Basic information about the Maldives

The Republic of Maldives is an island nation located in the south of Asia in the calm of the Indian Ocean. This archipelago consists of 26 natural coral atolls (clusters of islands) stretching 871km from the coast of India/Sri Lanka to the equator.

• Officially, the Maldives is divided into 21 atolls (like cantons or regions in our country)
• it is the lowest country, lying only 2.4m-1.5m above sea level
• 80% of the country is coral reefs that are less than 1m above sea level
• Maldives is the smallest Asian country and consists of a total of 1,192 islands (about 200 are uninhabited)
• The capital of the Maldives is Malé
• Currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa
• President: Ibarahim Muhammad Sulih (as of 2018)
• The population of the Maldives is just under 550,000 (2020)
• Religion: predominantly Islam
• Due to the location of this island state, the temperature throughout the year is very similar
• Monsoons are common in this region and the rainfall is highest in May, November and December
• The ecosystem is very rich with more than 1,100 species of fish, 5 species of sea turtles, 21 species of whales and dolphins, over 400 species of mollusks and 83 species of echinoderms and with many representatives of crustaceans, you will find many rare species such as:
  • Fugu fish
  • barracuda
  • stingrays
  • moray eels
  • tuna
  • swordfish
  • sharks
  • manta rays
  • and many others