The Maldives

Natural beauty

Maldives is famous for its natural beauty which includes the blue ocean and white beaches, accompanied by pleasant temperatures. The climate of the Maldives is ideal for visitors to get engaged in water sports such as swimming, fishing, scuba diving , snorkeling, water-skiing and windsurfing.

Maldives is made up of a chain of 1190 small coral islands that are grouped into 26 atolls (80 islands resorts and 200 inhabited islands)

The name "Maldives" may derive from Maale Dhivehi Raajje ("The Island Kingdom [under the authority of] Malé").
Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands", or from mahila dvipa, meaning "island of women",(citation needed) but these names are not found in ancient Sanskrit literature. Instead, classical Sanskrit texts mention the "Hundred Thousand Islands" (Lakshadweepa);
a generic name which would include not only the Maldives, but also the Laccadives and the Chagos island groups.
Another theory suggests that the name "Maldives" derives from the Tamil "mala tivu" meaning "a garland of islands". Some medieval Arab travellers such as Ibn Batuta called the islands "Mahal Dibiyat" from the Arabic word Mahal (palace).
This is the name currently inscribed in the scroll of the Maldive state emblem.

Maldive

Capital (and largest city) = Malé
Official languages = Dhivehi Demonym Maldivian
Government Presidential Republic = President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Independent - from the UK 26 July 1965
Area = - Total 298 km² (206th) 115 sq mi
Population = July 2006 estimate 350,000 (176th1)
Currency = Maldivian Rufiyaa (MRf)
Time zone = UTC+5
Internet TLD = .mv
Calling code = +960