Officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island nation consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives are located south of India's Lakshadweep islands, and about 700 kilometers (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka. The Maldives' twenty-six atolls encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets of which 250 islands are inhabited.
POPULATION
Population 306,000 (UN, 2007).
ETHNIC GROUPS
The Maldivian ethnic identity is a blend of the cultures reflecting the peoples who settled on the islands, reinforced by religion and language. The earliest settlers were probably from southern India and Sri Lanka.
LANGUAGE
National language is Divehi but English is also widely spoken.
RELIGION
Islam remains the only official religion of The Maldives, with the open practice of all other religions being forbidden.
CURRENCY
The rufiyaa (MVR) is the currency of the Maldives. The official exchange rate is USD1 to 12.8 MVR.
VISA AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
No pre-arrival visa is required. A thirty day free visa is issued on arrival for all nationalities, provided the following conditions are met:
- Should posses a valid passport,
- Have a valid ticket to continue the journey out of Maldives, and
- Have enough funds to cover the expenses for duration of the stay in Maldives. (USD50 dollars per day) or a confirmation of reservation in a Tourist Resort or a Hotel
Caution: Full thirty day visa is not a right of the passenger to claim, but lies at the discretion of the Immigration to issue not more than thirty days and any period less than thirty days.
AIRPORT TAX
Departure tax of USD12 is applicable for all passengers out of the Maldives.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity in The Maldives is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. If you travel to The Maldives with a device that does not accept 230 Volts at 50 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter.o- and three-pin type.
TAP WATER
Tap water in resorts may or may not be drinkable -- check with management. Bottled water is extortionately priced, at USD5 per bottle being typical.
VACCINATIONS/ HEALTH CARE
There are no serious problems with diseases in the Maldives. The Maldives are malaria-free, but some islands have mosquitoes and catching dengue fever from them is possible, albeit highly unlikely.
Most of the problems come from diving or sun related injuries. Heat stroke always causes problems in the tropics and coupled with divers spending hours at a time on a boat wearing a wetsuit, overheating of one form or another is a real issue. As long as you know this, drink lots of water, and get into the shade as much as possible it is easy to avoid.
Most resorts have their own doctor or nurse and most are within easy reach. Male has an efficient and fairly modern medical facilities.
CLIMATE
The Maldives are tropical, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures around 30°C throughout the year. However, rainfall increases considerably during the April-October southwest monsoon, particularly between June to August.
TIME
GMT +5
Sources:
http://www.immigration.gov.mv/main.asp?move=entrymaldives http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/maldives http://wikitravel.org/en/Maldives
