Maldives Religion

Maldives is primarily a Muslim country, and hence Islam is the official religion of the country. The religious background of the country has its own history.

During the 4th century AD, the Theravada Buddhism was the most important and dominant religion of Maldives. Islam became the religion of the country from 1153 AD onwards. Majority of the people in this country are Sunni Muslims. All the festivals and events held in the country are held according to the Muslim calendar.
Religious education is an important of the school curriculum and is taught along with other subjects also. The people of Maldives are extremely spiritual and religious minded. There are numerous mosques in the country where prayers are offered every day. Prayers are offered five times in a day, daily. The Grand Friday Mosque is one of the most important mosques of the country and it known as a landmark of the country. The interiors are grand and spacious and can accommodate large number worshippers at any point of time.

The Maldivians believe in the theory that there is no god other than ALLAH. The people over here also believe that 'Muhammad' is the messenger of ALLAH. Maldives religion gives a lot of importance to afterlife and final judgment.
They believe in the concepts of hell and heaven also. As per Islamic religious laws, one can go to heaven only through right conduct with good deeds. As per the religion of Maldives, this can be achieved by performing five major activities specified by Islam.
The five pillar of is Islam is believing oneness of ALLAH (repeating the credo that there is no God other than ALLAH and Muhammad is the messenger of ALLAH), offer Salaat (pray) five times in 24hours, fasting in the months of Ramazaan, alms giving to the poor and finally making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in the lifetime

Maldives Transport

Water Transports: Local boats, or dhonis (average speed 7 knots), are the most common means of water transport. One can make use of the regular ferry service operating between Male’ and the International Airport. Modern speedboats are also available for hire. Safari vessels are an ideal way to explore atolls.

Road Transports: Travel on most islands takes on more than half-an-hour on foot. Bicycles and motorbikes are popular modes of transport. Taxis are unmetered, charging RF 20, if hailed on the road. On the other hand, if you call a taxi by telephone from the taxi services (3325656, 3323132, 3322122 and 3321919 etc.), it will cost only RF 20 per trip and additional charges will be taken for bag and baggage’s putting in the dickey.

Air Transports: Apart from international flights operated by Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), India (Trivandrum), Qatar (Doha), Sri Lanka (Colombo), Singapore, and U.A.E (Dubai), Seychelles (Mahe), and a number of European countries to and from Male’ International Airport, there are also regular domestic flights operated by the Island Aviation to Hanimaadhoo, Kadhdhoo, Kaadehdhoo and Gan. Inter-island services are operated by Trans Maldivian Airways and the Maldivian Air Taxi, the latter having the largest air fleet. Sight-seeing trips, flights to uninhabited islands, photo-shooting trips, executive charters, and resort transfer operations by seaplane are also carried out by them.

Maldives Cuisine

Maldives restaurants are serving wide range of cuisines International, Europe, Asia, Continental and Maldivians and many more. It is a pleasant experience for tourists. The resorts provide the tourist many kind of cuisines option to choose their desired foods. You can find more one or two restaurants in each resort of Maldives headed by experience executive chefs and F&B Managers.

It is not surprising that a wide variety of fish and other sea food should form an integral part of the Maldivian cuisine. Dinning in Maldives is memorable experience especially for seafood lovers. However travelers from various part of world can experience the delicious mouth watering taste of seafood and tubers, Fish & Chips is one of the famous dishes in the restaurants of Maldives. Dine in Maldives is not much different having dine in your favorite restaurant around your native home city. Resorts and most liveaboard vessels offer diverse international cuisine including Indian Thai, Oriental, Middle Eastern and many more continental varieties.

However, most of the Maldives Islands are mainly covered with coconuts palm tree and around the island water (Sea) therefore in early day’s fish and coconut was a staple food for Maldives people.

Maldives Climate

Maldives is a tropical country where situated in the equator region of the world. The climate of Maldives is determined by the monsoons; almost remain warm seasons throughout the year. There are two monsoons; the southwest monsoon started from May ends to October brings some rains and winds. The northeast monsoon from November to April is the dry sea on with very little rain and wind. The annual average temperature varies daily maximum of 30.4 degrees Celsius and minimum of 25.9 degree Celsius. The annual rainfall is about over 1900 millimeters in 1996. In the same year total sunshine sis 2800 hours, an average of about 8 hours per day.

Maldives Language

The language of the Maldives is Dhivehi; it is a spoken language throughout the Maldives. Dhivehi language is originated or related from Sinhala, mixture of Arabic, Urdhu and English words. In the ancients day peoples used to spoke “Elu” a form of early Singhalese. Presently Dhivehi language is written from left to right (same way as Arabic and Urdu writes), after gone through many transformation. It has been know that Modern Thaana Script was created in the 16th century following the overthrow of Portuguese. The most primitive form of Dhivehi is inscribed on copper plates know as the “Loamaafaanu”. The script is written with letter and vowels separately on the top and below the letters depending the way it’s being expressed. The official language used in the administration of the country is Dhivehi.

Truly speaking Maldives has a very high literacy rate about 98%. English was introduced as the medium of instruction in most schools in the 1960s, later on Dhivehi medium syllabuses changed to English medium teaching, as a result of this now many peoples of Maldives are widely understood, spoken and written using English language. Many Maldivians living in resorts, capital city and regional airports are spoken English fluently. Some adults based in Addu atoll regions spoke English where the British employed many of the islanders on the air base for 20 years.

Maldives Culture

Maldives has their owned traditional way of playing music and dances. It is known as Dhivehi culture. Boduberu is mean big round drum mainly played most of the inhabited islands. This musical activities mainly played by men. There are local culture nights in resorts and big drum played by Maldivians. There are about 3-4 drummers used to beat and singing then the dancers start moving slowly based on the rhythms gradually change the moment of the dancers animated as the tempo increases finally at the fishing character of the dancer is really frenzy, performing like an unconscious mind. Almost all resorts they do have live music nights.

Some of the Maldivians are interesting for Hindi and English music both Hollywood and Bollywood movies. There are shops in the capital selling musical equipments including stages decorated items.

Atolls in the Maldives

The Maldivians first uses the word “atoll” this word describe in Dhivehi (local language) as “atholhu” meaning a ring like coral island and reef that nearly or entirely encloses a lagoon. There are 26 atolls from south to north of Maldives as shown in the map and Maldives is long narrow country. Atolls are surrounded by deep ocean water and range in diameter from about 1 km (0.62 mi) to over 100 km (62 mi). They are especially common in the western and central Pacific Ocean and are believed to form along the fringes of underwater volcanoes. Some atolls are in the form of a number of islands by time and in the form of isolated reefs, which could be classified as smaller atoll formations. There are broad and deep waterways in between some atolls.

Maldives Atoll Names
The atolls are started from North to South.

Haa Aliff
Tiladummati North (Admiralty); Ihavandhippolhu, Ihavandiffulu, Thiladhunmathee Uthuruburi, Thiladhunmathi North (variant)

Haa Daalu
Tiladummati South (Admiralty); Thiladhunmathee Dhekunuburi, Thiladhunmathi South (variant)

Shaviyani
Miladummadulu North (Admiralty); Miladhunmadulu North, Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi, Shaviyan (variant)

Noonu
Miladummadulu South (Admiralty); Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi, Miladhunmadulu South, Nuun (variant)

Raa
Malosmadulu North (Admiralty); Maalhosmadulu North, Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi (variant)

Baa
Malosmadulu South (Admiralty); Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi, Maalhosmadulu South (variant)

Laviyani
Fadiffolu (Admiralty); Faadhippolhu, Lhaviyani (variant)

Kaafu
North and South Male (Admiralty); Male (variant)

Alif
Ari and Rasdu (Admiralty); Ari (variant)

Aliff Aliff
Alif Uthuru, Ari Atholhu Uthuruburi, Ari Atoll Uthuru Gofi, Ari North (variant)

Aliff Daalu
Alif Dhekunu, Ari Atholhu Dhekunuburi, Ari Atoll Dhekunu Gofi, Ari South (variant)

Waavu
Felidu (Admiralty); Felidhe, Felidhu, Vaavu (variant)

Meemu
Mulaku (Admiralty); Miim, Mulakatholhu (variant)

Faafu
Nilandu North (Admiralty); Faaf, Faafa, Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi, Nilandhe North (variant)

Daalu
Nilandu South (Admiralty); Nilandhe Atholhu Dhekunuburi, Nilandhe South (variant)

Thaa
Kolumadulu (Admiralty); Kolhumadulu (variant)

Laamu
Haddummati (Admiralty); Hadhdhummathi, Hadhdhunmathee, Hadhunmathi (variant)

Gaafu Aliff
Suvadiva North (Admiralty); Huvadhoo North, Huvadu North, North Huvadhu (variant)

Gaafu Daalu
Suvadiva South (Admiralty); Huvadhoo South, Huvadu South, South Huvadhu (variant)

Naviyani
Fua Mulaku (Admiralty); Foahmulah, Foammulah, Fuahmulah, Fuvahmulah, Gnaviyani, Gnyaviyalu (variant)

Seenu
Addu (Admiralty); Addoo, Siin (variant)

Maldives

The Maldives (in local language Dhivehi: describe Maldives as “Dhivehi Raajje”) are an archipelago of 1190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, and more 90 island is developed and operating as tourist resorts). The Maldives map here shows the way it is grouped and given name for each group of Atolls. The group of atolls comprises with set of islands both inhabited and uninhabited. Some of uninhabited islands are being used for different purpose chiefly used for developing resort islands. Resort islands are slowly spreading across the countries. Presently more resorts islands are occupied near Capital city Male’ and other atoll nearby Kaafu atoll (Capital Atoll).

Where is Maldives?

Maldives is situated in the Indian Ocean. They are lying south – south west of India and are considered part of Southern Asian Country. Maldives is naturally grouped into 26 natural atolls scattered over an area of 90,000 sq. km straddling the equator between latitudes 7°6” north and 0°42” south and longitudes 72°32” and 73°46” east.