Maldives

Overview

The Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka, made up of 26 atolls and about 1,190 small coral islands, of which roughly 200 are inhabited. The country's average elevation is only about 1.5 meters above sea level, making the Maldives the world's lowest-lying country and one of the states most threatened by rising sea levels. Britain administered the islands as a protectorate until 1965, and the country became a republic in 1968. The official language is Dhivehi, which uses its own script called Thaana, and the majority of the population is Muslim, with Islam the only officially permitted religion in the country.

Malé, the capital, is one of the most densely populated islands in the world, with modern buildings covering nearly the entire island, and is home to the Old Friday Mosque, a coral-stone religious site dating from the 17th century. The Maldives' luxury resort islands, typically occupying an entire island each, pioneered the over-water bungalow concept, one of the country's best-known contributions to tourism, since replicated at numerous other tropical destinations around the world. Addu Atoll, the country's southernmost atoll, preserves memories of a British WWII military base and offers a look at relatively less-visited, more authentic local life. The Maldives' traditional fishing villages, increasingly overshadowed by tourism development, offer insight into local culture and daily life.

The Maldives' coral reefs harbor some of the richest marine life in the world, with diving and snorkeling central to the country's tourism, offering regular sightings of sharks, rays, and colorful tropical fish. Bioluminescent plankton also appears in coastal waters during certain periods, lighting up the waves with blue light at night, a phenomenon best known around the island of Vaadhoo. Given the threat of rising sea levels facing the Maldives, the country's government actively raises international awareness about the dangers of climate change, an issue central to its diplomatic activity. Local cuisine is built around fish, especially skipjack tuna, along with coconut, with garudhiya, a fish soup, as a signature dish, traditionally served with rice and lime.