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REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES |
| AREA | 298 sq km (115 sq mi) |
| POPULATION | 261,000 |
| CAPITAL | Male, pop. 55,100 |
| RELIGION | Sunni Muslim |
| LANGUAGE | Divehi |
| LITERACY | 93% |
| LIFE EXPECTANCY | 65 years |
| ECONOMY | Industry: food processing, tourism, shipping, clothing. Export crops: seafood, tropical fish. Food crops: seafood, coconuts, corn, sweet potatoes |
| PCI | $820 |
| The
Maldives - Some 650 km South West of Sri Lanka, lie the Maldive
Islands, an independent Republic of over 1,200 coral islands, scattered
across the blue waters of the Indian Ocean. In this unique environment,
where only about 200 islands are inhabited, visiting another hotel means
taking a boat. You will find a tranquil setting of unspoilt white beaches,
surrounded by coral reefs, teeming with rainbow coloured fish. A soporific
sort of life, easy decisions, few alternatives, minor distractions, no
crowds, for those of whom who seek this life-style look no further. Maldives
is also a haven for water sports enthusiasts with scuba diving, snorkelling,
sailing, windsurfing or island hopping.
The real character of the Maldives, however is recognisable, in the carpenters, weavers, jewellers, fishermen, spice merchants and even faith healers among the scattered villages and hamlets in these atolls. The Maldives reflect a colourful past when these islands were in the middle of the 'Fast Traffic' lane between Arabia and the Orient. Like necklaces draped along an undersea plateau, 1,200 coral islands—202 inhabited—form the Maldives. In 1968, three years after independence from Britain, the sultanate gave way to an Islamic republic controlled by several families. The 1980s saw three coup attempts. Tuna fishing and tourism sustain the economy. |
