MALDIVES
Coming to home in Maldives
The Maldives is made up of thousand two hundred islands, all different in their own unique ways. The geography of Maldives alone is something one would not get tired of observing. The archipelago is made up of 26 atolls, rings formed of islands and reefs of varying shapes, depths and sizes that present hues of blue, turquoise to indigo.
Visit Hangnaameedhoo Island and observe our unique lifestyle, shaped over millennia, by the unique make-up of the tiny islands they inhabit and the seas that surrounds them. Our culture, cuisine and craft have been shaped by the resources that were available from our surroundings and the skills that were brought in by the waves of settlers from around the Indian Ocean, who made the islands their home, over thousands of years.
Experience the relaxed attitude and style of islanders, which modernization has found impossible to change. Stroll on the beach, engage with the locals and get an insight into their lives. Who knows, you could get invited to visit one of their homes and meet their families.
Geography
The Maldives is a nation of islands in the Indian Ocean, that spans across the equator. The country is comprised of 1192 islands that stretch along a length of 871 kilometers. While the country covers an area of approximately 90,000 square kilometers, only 298 square kilometers of that is dry land. The islands are grouped into a double chain of 26 atolls.
People
While very little is known about the ancient history of the Maldives scholars and historians believe that the Maldives is an old nation populated well over 2500 years ago. The Maldivian race is the result of several waves of settlement from various parts of the Indian subcontinent and thousands of years of interactions of people of different races and ethnicities that crisscrossed the Indian Ocean over several centuries.
Culture
Although home to just over half a million people the Maldives has its own unique culture and traditions. While heavily influenced by various cultures around the rim of the Indian Ocean, the Maldivian culture, craft and traditions have been shaped by the island environment and the seas that surround us.