The islands of the Maldives lie across the equator between 7° 6’ 30” and 0° 41’ 48” south and between 72° 32’ 30” and 73° 45’ 54” east of Greenwich.

The small islands are grouped into 26 natural atolls and land area is about 298 sq km. The atolls, stretch from north to south for about 764 kilometers and spread to 128 kilometers at the widest point. The equator cuts across the country between the southernmost atolls, laying Addu and Fuamulaku to the south and Huvadhu Atoll to the north. The closest neighbors of Maldives are India (595 km) to the north, Sri Lanka (670 km) to the northeast.

Climate

The climate of the Maldives is warm and humid throughout the year with the temperature ranging between 25.5°C and 30.4°C. The relatively high humidity is tempered by the constant sea breezes. The annual rainfall averages 2,540 millimeters in the north and 3,810 millimeters in the south of the country. There are two monsoons in the Maldives and they are Iruvai, the north-east monsoon and Hulha’ngu, the south-west monsoon. The south-west monsoon sets in from May and lasts till November, bringing forth heavy rains, strong winds and occasional thunderstorms. The north-east monsoon arrives in November heralded by strong winds and heavy rainfall which lasts for a week or so. It passes down from the north and the effects reach the south last and in January it eventually sets in. This monsoon gives the north and mid atolls clear skies, sunshine and calm seas for most of the period.

Culture

A proud history and rich culture evolved from the first settlers who were from various parts of the world travelling the seas in ancient times. The Maldives has been a melting pot of different cultures as people from different parts of the world came here and settled down. Some of the local music and dance for instance resemble African influences, with handbeating 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 a 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 public view - are not tenets of life here. In fact women play a major role in society - not surprising considering the fact men spend the whole day out at sea fishing. Many of the traditions are strongly related to the seas and the fact that life is dependent on the seas around us.

Entry

The most convenient way of getting to the Maldives is by air. Male International Airport is located on Hulhule’ Island located adjacent to Male’ which is 10 minutes by Dhoni a traditional boat. The airport is located close to many tourist resort islands. There are many scheduled airlines and charter flights operating directly to and from Male International Airport, many of which cater for tourists. A number of flights from Europe, the Far East, Middle East, Asia and Africa now serve to the Maldives. Entry from Cruise and Passenger Liners are also possible as a number of Cruise and Passenger Liners now visit the Maldives.

Dress is generally casual. T-shirts and cotton clothing are most suitable. In Male’, the capital island and other inhabited islands it is recommended that women wear modest clothing without baring too much.

Dhivehi is the language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. 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.

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 falls on Friday and Saturday.

The Maldivian currency is the Rufiyaa and Laaree Rufiyaa bank notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. Coins are in the denominations of MRf.2.00, MRf.1.00, 50 laarees, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 laaree. 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, travellers’ cheques or credit cards. Commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card.

All modern and most up-to-date communication facilities such as IDD phone, internet, and fax are available in all the resorts. Mobile phone services are provided by local telecommunications companies such as Dhiraagu and Wataniyya.