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Updated by Joanna James on Mar 16, 2024
Headline for Things to Know about the Maldives - Apart from its Holiday Luxuries
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Joanna James Joanna James
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Things to Know about the Maldives - Apart from its Holiday Luxuries

We all know that when you think of Maldives, your mind wanders to its sandy beaches and picture-perfect ocean. But what don't we know?

1

The Republic of Maldives

This is an independent island, grouped into atolls and consist of about 1200 islands! And most of them are uninhabited! The official name of Maldives in their own language is Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa and the Capital of Maldives is Male.

2

The People

Though it is currently a 98.5% Muslim country, there is proof that the first inhabitants of the islands were from India and Sri Lanka; the neighbouring countries during the early 5th century. The transition from Buddhism to Islam was during 1153 CE. There are still some Buddhist archaeological remains like stupas present in certain islands. Currently, the population is 408,0003 and it's expected to be 474,00 by the year 2030. The life expectancy of males is 73.1 years and females, it's 74.6 years.

3

The Language

The official language is called Dhivehi, which is an Indo-European language.

4

Economy

The monetary unit is Rufiyaa (Rf). It is a developing country and most of its income, about 28% is solely from tourism. Most Maldives resorts have their own private island, like the Niyama Private Island. You could reserve the entire place if needed! Due to this, Maldives is popular for destination weddings and intimate, private occasions! Due to its tropical climate and good weather, it's the most sought out after country during the winter breaks.

The cost of living is slightly high due to the fact that most of its staple foods, like rice and other consumer goods, are imported. Fishing is the other main base for the economy and still continues to provide employment for a quarter of the labourers. The Maldives is famous for Tuna and most of the catch is exported.

The manufacturing industries mainly focus on handicrafts, mainly items made with coir- coconut husk fibre. They also focus on boat manufacturing and repairs.

5

The Government and Society

The President is the head of state and government and is assisted by a Vice President and a cabinet consisting of government ministers and attorney general. It was only recently, in 2008 that the Constitution of the Maldives was adopted. It states that the official state religion as Islam and non-muslims are not allowed to become citizens.

Supreme court is the highest legal authority and the judges for this are instilled by the President and the Judicial Service Commission. The Judicial Service Commission has the freedom to appoint all other judges on its own. All judges must belong to the Sunni Muslims.

6

Education

Their education system consists mainly of 3 types: Traditional schools that primarily focus on the recitation of Qurʾān, the Dhivehi medium schools and primary and secondary schools that teach mainly in English. However, for higher education, students must venture abroad.

7

Healthcare

There are not many well equipped and state of the art hospitals in the Maldives, and therefore must resort to traditional medical practices. However, should they require to undergo treatment or surgeries, most Maldivians go abroad like Sri Lanka, India and Singapore for their healthcare needs.