The Maldives officially called The Republic of Maldives, is a country in South Asia, located in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. It is one of the world’s most geographically dispersed sovereign states as well as the smallest Asian country by land area and population, with around 427,756 inhabitants. Malé is the capital and the most populated city, traditionally called the “King’s Island” for its central location.
Maldives was for the most part unknown to tourists until the early 1970s. Just 185 of the islands are home to its inhabitants. The other islands are used entirely for economic functions, of that tourism and agriculture are dominant. Tourism accounts for 28% of the GDP. Over 90% of the state government income comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.
The tourism industry is the main economic industry in the Maldives, attracting visitors to the many resorts, retreats, and private islands.The Maldives also has a rich history to discover which spans years of dictatorship, an uprising, colonization and subsequent independence.
Maldivians are almost entirely Sunni Muslim, and the local culture is a mixture of South Indian, Sinhalese and Arab influences. While alcohol, pork, drugs and public observance of non-Muslim religions are banned on the inhabited islands, the resort islands are allowed to exist in a bubble where almost anything goes so that tourists can keep coming and revenue is generated.
Maldivian Dhivehi, a close relative of Sinhala (spoken in Sri Lanka) but with borrowings from Urdu, Hindi, Arabic and many other languages, is the official language and It is written in a remarkable hybrid script called Thaana. The Maldives offer a variety of activities ranging from diving and snorkeling, Surfing, fine dining experience and an overall aesthetically pleasing environment.
Source: guardian.ng
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