Official Are you looking for lesser-known facts about Maldives ? Here is a collection of interesting and fun facts about Maldives which You’ve Never Heard Before as well as you can also read general information about Maldives such as about culture, history, government rule, etc.

The highest altitude on the island is only five feet above sea level. Scientists worry that if sea level increases due to global warming, the island will disappear completely. The Maldives is a poor country, and fishing and tourism are the major industries. So let’s read more interesting facts about the history, economy, tourism, and culture associated with the country of Maldives.

A small island country located in the Indian Ocean is famous for its beauty. Due to its beauty, it is famous all over the world. Along with being beautiful, Maldives is also cheap to roam it. There are many such things that you do not know about the Maldives, after hearing that you will be desperate to roam there.

General Facts About Maldives

• Total Population – 400000 (4.36 lakhs) (2017)
• Currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa
• Official Language – Dhivehi
• Total Area – 297.8 km²
• Capital– Male
• National Tree – Coconut Palm
• National Bird – White breeded watcher
• National Flower – Rose (Rosa Paulintha)
• National Animal – yellowfin tuna
• National Song – “Qaumee salaam”
• National Day– Evening Of 17 October to Evening Of 18 October

There are approximately 1192 islands in the country, which is why it is known as a great place for diving and beaches.There are 26 archipelagos of these islands. Only two hundred islands have local populations. There are 89 resorts for tourists on a total of 12 islands. The Maldives was awarded the ‘Best Dive Destination’ in the world at ‘World Travel Awards‘ in 2006.

Amazing Facts About Maldives For Tourists and Kids

1. Underwater Cabinet Meeting

In 2009, President Mohammad Nasir held a cabinet meeting under the sea. It aimed to attract the world’s attention to the problem of climate change and rising ocean levels.

2. The most level country

The Maldives is the most level(flat) nation in the world. It has an average elevation of 1.8 meters above sea level. Villingili Island is the highest point of this country, which has a height of 2.3 meters.

3. Constitution

According to its constitution, only Muslims have the right to be called citizens of this country. No people from any other religion.

4. Old relationship with India

The island was discovered by an Indian prince in 270 BC. It is said that Sri Soorudasaruna Adeettiya was the first king of the island.

5. Weekend

The weekend is a holiday on Friday and Saturday. Most people go to work on Sundays.

6. Islam Religion

However, the island was discovered by an Indian king, but 1153 A.D. Islam was declared the official religion here. Here the religion of Islam is strictly practiced.

7. Maldives Flag

The red color in its flag represents those who sacrificed for the country. The green color of peace and prosperity. The moon in the middle represents the religion of Islam.

8. White Beaches

The sand on its banks is white. It is found only on 5 percent of the world’s beaches. White Beaches are its identity.

9. Always Cloudy

The Maldives can get rain at any time because it is always cloudy.

10. Biodiversity

The biodiversity here is very. Here 5 out of 7 rare species of sea turtles are found.

11. Safest Holiday Destination

This beautiful island is one of the safest holiday destinations in the world. The international community also has the same opinion.

12. Risk of submergence by 2030

This island is sinking fast. According to an estimate, if no measures are taken soon, it will be submerged by 2030.

13. Dhonis Boat

This is the traditional boat, which you will easily see all around. This is an Arabic style boat, which is used for fishing. Out of 1190 islands, the government has left 110 islands for tourism. The national tree is coconut. Dhoni boat is made from its wood.

14. The Maldivian capital is Male and the Maldives area is 292 Km square

Male is the capital and the most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. The city is located on the whole island of Malé, the island is 1.7 kilometers (1 mi) long and 1.0 kilometers (0.6 miles) wide, but with over 100,000 people it has become overcrowded.
To visit Male, the capital of Maldives, tourists must keep at least one day. Mal, spread over 2 square kilometers, has about 100000 people and is one of the most densely populated places on earth. Obviously, due to the presence of so many people in less space, some problems will also be faced. In Capital Male, most people use scooters and hardly anyone will have a car.

15. Male Airport – two meters above sea

Flying at Male International Airport in the Maldives is extremely challenging for pilots. It is the only airport in the world made up of Asphalt and is situated at an altitude of only two meters from the seashore.

A small miss of the pilot will land the plane directly into the Indian Ocean. It is included in select airports of the world that start from the water and end at the water. Hulhule Island is part of a group that covers an area of 90,000 square kilometers. It has a total of 1,192 islands. Hulhule Island has been used only for airports. After landing here, tourists have to reach their second destination with the help of speedboats.

16. As long as history has been recorded, the Maldives has been an incredibly important island chain due to its location along many trade routes. The first people to officially colonize the islands came from India, It was said that the son of the King of Kalinga from in India had established the first real empire here.

17. The Maldives is not only the smallest country in Asia, but it is also the smallest Muslim country in the world.

18. One of the best tourist attractions in the Maldives is Sultan Park, now a public park built in the 16th century, on the southern side of the grounds of the royal palace in Male. It witnesses to the glory of the Sultan’s era.

19. 26 December 2004, Black Day for the Maldives

On 26 December 2004, the Maldives was devastated by the tsunami. According to the information, only nine islands survived the flood total loss is estimated to be more than about $ 400 million or 62% of GDP. The total number of people killed in the tsunami was 108 including six foreigners.

20. Quiet Muslim country

The Maldives is a Muslim majority country, where 98.4 percent of people are Muslims. The official language of the country is Dhivehi, which is close to the Sinhala language spoken in Sri Lanka. But it is written from right to left like Arabic.The Maldives is a quiet Muslim country, but in recent years it has become a bit strict where many women wear hijab.When tourists started arriving in the 1970s, most people used to come for spectacular scuba diving. Initially, they were kept in simple huts made of coral. The then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who was in power for 30 years, recognized the tourism potential and developed it.

21. The history of the Maldives is about 500 BC. It is believed that the people of Maldives were settled by the Dravidians. These people were fishermen on the west coast.

22. The description of Maldives also appears in the Indus Valley Civilization.

23. It is also said that in the 12th century, Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire came to preach his religion and since then the main religion of the people became Buddhism.

24. Most of the hotels in the Maldives have been built inside the water so that people can get more attracted and able to take more advantage.

25. The Maldives is building the world’s largest marine reserve. At the Rio + 20 summit, the nation announced that it would create the world’s largest marine reserve to preserve its fisheries and biodiversity. If this happens, it will become the first country to become a marine reserve. What this means is that they will only allow sustainable and eco-friendly fishing.

26. About 95% of the people of Maldives are educated and their lives are also very good. The Maldives claims 98 %literacy rates among adults.

27. There is no building higher than the 15th floor in the Maldives.

28. Sharks of the Maldives are very famous all over the world and attract thousands of divers every year for the Maldives. The Maldives is considered a heaven for divers. Several types of shark species are found in the Maldives.

29. There is 90 percent seawater in the country of Maldives – it looks like heaven for us.

30. Due to the country’s rigid Islamic beliefs, it is to obey and honor Muslim traditions on the islands. Alcohol is prohibited everywhere except staying at the hotel, and drinks can not be taken out of the hotel property.

31. Economy

Tourism is the mainstay of the country’s economy. Many islands have been specially designed for tourism where there is every facility for the tourists. Tourism companies present the Maldives as a tropical paradise. Maldives 75% of the country’s total income comes from tourism only.

32. Freedom

The Maldives gained independence from Britain in 1965. Ibrahim Nasir became the first president after a referendum in the Maldives in 1968 to remove Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi from power. He held the post for ten years.

33. Gayoom Maldives

After Ibrahim Nasser, the country’s reins came in the hands of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who remained president for thirty consecutive years. There were three failed attempts to overthrow him in the 1980s. But he had to face defeat in the presidential election held in October 2008.

34. First democratic Election

For the first time in the history of Maldives, a democratic presidential election was held in 2008 and the country’s reins came in the hands of young leader Mohammad Nasheed. But in 2012, Nasheed had to resign after weeks of anti-government protests.

35. The Maldives has many cultural, historical, and trade relations with India.

India has an old cultural relationship with the Maldives country. According to BBC news, it is believed that in the Maldives the word “Mal” came from the Mala word in the Malayalam language. The word Mal in the Maldives means Mala and Diu means Island. Maldives means the garland of islands. It means the rosary of many countries. The origin of the Maldives is from the Sanskrit word mālādvīpa.
India is among the first countries to recognize the Maldives after independence in 1965. About 25,000 Indians are living in the Maldives, which is the second-largest foreign community. About 6 percent of the tourists visiting the Maldives every year are from India. Bollywood celebrities especially like to celebrate holidays in the Maldives. Many Bollywood films have also been shot.

36. An important place in the Indian Ocean

The Maldives is located in a strategically important place in the Indian Ocean. It is just 700 km from the Lakshadweep group of India. The Maldives is adjacent to such an important ship route that supplies energy to many countries like China, Japan, and India. About 97 percent of India’s international trade is through the Indian Ocean.

Historical Facts About Maldives

The Maldives became independent from Britain in 1965. The Maldives was declared a republic in November 1968. Ibrahim Nasir was the first President of Maldives. In the year 1972, Ahmed Zaki becomes the Prime Minister of Maldives.

In 1953, there was an unsuccessful attempt to create a republic. In 1959, residents of three southern coral islands protested against the government, objecting to Nasir’s centralism. He formed the United Suvadive Republic and elected Abdullah Afif as president and Hithadhoo as the capital.

Although ruled as an independent Islamic sultanate from 1153 to 1968, the Maldives remained a British protectorate from 1887 to 25 July 1965.

The agreement to grant full political independence to the Maldives was signed by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, Prime Minister and Queen Sahiba on behalf of Sir Michael Walker of the British Maldives Islands.

The ceremony was held on 26 July 1965 at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Colombo. After independence from Britain in 1965, the Sultanate continued for the next three years under King Muhammad Fareed Didi.

The monarchy was abolished on 11 November 1968 and replaced by a republic under Ibrahim Nasir’s presidency, although this was a procedural change that did not significantly change the structure of government.

Tourism began to develop on the archipelago by the early 1970s.However, in the seventies, a political battle between President Nasir’s faction and other popular political figures led to the arrest of elected Prime Minister Ahmed Zaki in 1975 and exile on a remote coral island.

With the support of his administration, Nasser fled to Singapore in 1978, reportedly with millions of dollars from the government treasury.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom began his 30-year-long presidential role in 1978, winning six consecutive elections without opposition.In keeping with Gayoom’s preference for developing the poor islands, his election period was seen as a mode of political stability and economic development. Tourist adornment and increased foreign contact encouraged development in the islands. However, his rule is controversial with some critics, according to him, Gayoom was a dictator.

Naseer supporters tried unsuccessfully to topple the government in 1980, 1983 and 1988.While the first two attempts were of little success, the deadly 1988 effort involved nearly 200-people from the PLOTE Tamil terrorist group who captured the airport. Than 1600 Indian Air-Army restored the system in Male.

In November 1988, a group of Maldivians led by Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfi (a small businessman) used Tamil militants from Sri Lanka against President Gayoom. Following an appeal from the Maldives government for help, the Indian Army intervened against the militants to restore Gayoom to power.

On the night of 3 November 1988, the Indian Air Force airlifted a parachute battalion group from Agra and sent it to the Maldives at a distance of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,240 mi).

Indian paratroopers landed at Hulule and restored government rule on Mal within a few hours, securing airspace. The Indian Navy was also included in this brief bloodless operation called Operation Cactus.

In 2003, Mohammad Nasheed, a journalist, formed the Maldivian Democratic Party and pressured the Gayoom administration for political reforms.
In 2008, a new constitution was formed in the Maldives and for the first time, elections were held directly for the President. Mohammad Nasheed won this election and Gayoom was out of power and the struggle for power started here.

Crisis again

As soon as 2018 began, a sound of the crisis began to be heard in the Maldives. The Supreme Court’s decision to release the political prisoners refused to be accepted by President Abdulla Yameen and the judges were arrested.

Tourism in the Maldives

The 1100 islands of the Maldives, a small country in the Indian Ocean in the south of India, are no less than a sight of nature. Made from collecting coral for millions of years, these islands appear to be light blue and have white sand on their banks. The features of the islands of Maldives are that they are very clean and their edges are made of white fine sand. The color of the water also changes with the increase in the depth of the sea.

You will not find any other comfort like the resorts here. You can also enjoy marine life in the Maldives and if you are fond of adventure then you can also enjoy many other water sports like scuba diving.

Whenever you go to the Maldives, never forget to enjoy the ‘Maldivian Air Taxi‘ here. A walk in the open sky via this air taxi is really fun. The island of Maldives is one of the most beautiful islands in the world, the water here is cleaner than any other place in the world.