Tourists visit the Maldives for various reasons. For couples, it is the ideal location for a romantic destination wedding. In contrast, adventure enthusiasts relish the myriad watersport activities and the unadulterated thrill attached to them that is an integral characteristic of the island lifestyle. The allure of the archipelago is further magnified by its pleasant climate that presents travelers with plentiful rainless days on the beach and the opportunity to explore countless hidden wonders of the atolls.
Geography of the Maldives
Maldives, also called Maldive Islands, lies in two rows of atolls made of coral reefs located in the North Central Indian Ocean. The closest countries to the Maldives are India (600km to the north) and Sri Lanka (670km to the East). There are 22 geographical atolls comprising of 1,192 islands, 132 of which designated as tourist resorts. All the islands of the Maldives cover a total area of 90,000 sq. km including land and sea.
The total land area is about 300 sq. km with only three islands having an area greater than 4 sq. km. They are mostly low-lying at a height of about 6ft tall. Despite the height, they are not seriously affected by the yearly monsoons due to the presence of barrier reefs that act as a buffer.
The Maldivian islands can be broadly classified into:
- Disappeared Islands: Islands that appear in the Maldivian history books but no longer exist, eroded away due to the rise in sea level.
- Uninhabited Islands: Islands designated for farming, industrial work, or as resorts. They also serve as breeding grounds for rare animals.
- Inhabited Islands: Islands designated for human habitation with towns, villages, and communities.
Geology of the Atolls
The atolls make the foundation on which the islands of the Maldives lie. They formed upon a ridge rising from the ocean as a result of sediment buildup on the submerged crowns of ancient volcanic mountains. The Maldivian atolls are characterized by coral reefs encircling a lagoon.
We list and describe the atolls of the Maldives archipelago dividing them into northern and southern atolls for convenience.
Population and Economy
The Maldivian people are widely spread out among the atolls and inhabit about 200 of the constituent islands. The population of the Maldives is estimated at 540,407. The inhabitants live in villages on small islands in scattered atolls, except those living in Malé, the only relatively large settlement in the country.
Since the emergence of tourism in 1972, it has become the country’s main source of income. The islands play host to about 1.2 million tourists yearly. Tourism accounts for 28% of the GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives’ foreign exchange receipts.
Government and Capital City
The Maldives is a presidential republic overseen by a president who has full authority acting as the head of state and government.
The capital city of the Maldives is called Malé. The country Maldives, meaning “the islands of Malé”, is named after the capital city. Located in the Southern part of the North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll), it has a population of about 140,000 people spanning 5.8 sq. km, making it one of the smallest and most densely populated capitals in the world. It is characterized by its beautiful mosques, tall buildings, and a bustling fish market.
