Maldives Travel Information

Geography. Presentation of The Island Kingdom

The Maldives belong to the small and exclusive list of the Ultimate Place to see. From the sky, the Maldives Islands appear like an emerald necklace set on navy blue background. Ultimate paradise, their name itself is enough to make us dream and the surreal natural beauty of their landscapes make this dream a reality. The ideal beauty of their crystal-clear lagoons, beaches of fine white sand, combined with the splendour of their aerial views make it an absolute paradise and one of the most popular Dream destinations on Earth.

For centuries, Maldives splendour has inspired and captivated generations of travelers.

Maldives Travel Information and Geography of the Islands. Presention of The Island Kingdom

Maldives Travel Video

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Maldives. The Ultimate Paradise. Photos

Maldives = Sandbanks + Paradise Beaches + Coral Reefs + Infinite Blue

Maldives Paradise Islands - Birds Flying From a Sandbank

Virgin Sandbanks

Sandbanks are home to hundreds of Sea birds.

Maldives Paradise Islands - Paradise Beaches

Paradise Beaches

1000's of Km's of White Sandy Beaches

Maldives Paradise Islands - Amazing Coral Reefs

Amazing Coral Reefs

The Maldives Islands are of Coralline Origins.

Maldives Paradise Islands - Infinite Blue

Infinite Blue

Endless Blue & Flat Horizon

Maldives Geography

Located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, at the South of India and West of Sri Lanka, the Maldives owe their beauty to a unique geological formation.

26 Atolls, 1200 Islands

All 823 km ( 512 miles ) of the Maldivian archipelago is exclusively composed of Atolls, about 26 in total, protecting in their hearts some marvellous 1200 small and perfectly drawn tropical islands and thousands of kilometres of coral reefs.

The origin of the word "atoll"

The origin of the word "atoll" itself could derive from the Dhivehi - Maldives language - "Atholhu" and is now used in many languages worldwide.

Of these 1200 islands, about 200 are inhabited by Maldivian people, about 700 islands and sandbanks remain completely deserted and a bit more than 150 are allocated to Resorts.

The Islands can be very tiny with only a few tens of meters in diameter.

The largest reach more than a kilometre like Male, the capital, with 1.5 km or others, like Gan, the largest, located in the Southernmost part of Maldives, in the beautiful Addu Atoll, with 6 kilometres long and 3.4 kilometres wide.

Most of the resorts barely reach an average of 400 meters and home of the largest resorts include Atmosphere Kanifushi, Kuredu, Meeru, Kuramathi and Sun Island whose lengths are between 1 to 1.7 kms.

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Maldives. Garland of Islands Photos

The Maldives 1200 Islands form a Garland Of Islands

Maldives Garland Of Islands

Maladiv means "Garland of Islands"
in Sanskrit

Maldives, Male Island, The Smallest Capital in the World

The World's Smallest Capital

Approximately 150 000 people live
in Male, a 6km2 Island

Maldives Islands - Sandbank

Maldives Sandbank

About 800 islands and sandbanks
remain completely deserted.

Maldives Islands - Tiny Island

Maldives Tiny Island

Islands can be only
a few tens of meters in diameter.

The Island Kingdom

Their name comes from the word "Maladiv", given by the first Indian merchants and literally means "Garland of Islands" in Sanskrit.

Nowadays and since the beginning of tourism in Maldives (70's), travelers have also beautifully named them the "Indian Ocean Pearls".

Maldivian refer to their country as "Dhivehi Raajje" which means in Dhivehi, "The Island Kingdom"

Maldives, 99% of Water, 1% of Land

Although the Maldives cover an area of 90,000 km2, the total land area is only about 300 km2 in total, including the surface made of coral, and reaches an average of 1.5 meters above the sea level.

Maldives Tourism History

From "Robinson-Back-to-Nature" to "Robinson-Chic"

Secret destination of well informed travelers and divers in the early 70s, the Maldives opened their first international Resort in 1972 with Kurumba.

Few of these travelers have resisted their beauty and many shared their amazing experiences on their return, bringing each year more and more curious adventurers in search of a perfect paradise.

Tourism Boom

Maldives tourism boom has rapidly continued and increased in the years that followed.

Many deserted islands, the closest to the capital Male, were then transformed into Resorts to accommodate a growing number of visitors.

Until the early 90's, Maldives Resorts were mostly simple and charming 3 stars and a few ones were offering 4 and 5 stars comfort.

In 2015, the Maldives are home to the largest concentration of luxury Hotels in the world with some the most prestigious names in the hospitality industry. From a few thousands of visitors in the early 70's, Maldives were welcoming around 200 000 tourists in 1990 and in 2015, 1 000 000.

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