The Maldives is an archipelago composed of 26 natural atolls divided into 20 administrative areas. The word "atoll" in the Maldivian language describes a ring-shaped coral island surrounding a lagoon. There are 1190 islands out of which 202 are occupied and the rest of the islands remain as desert islands.

The islands take all shapes—crescent, heart-shaped or nearly circular. None is more than 6 ft above sea-level and only 203 are inhabited. Total land area is 300 sq km (115 sq miles), scattered over a stretch of ocean 800 km (500 miles) long by 130 km (80 miles) at its widest point. It supports a population of some 263,000 Maldivians.The people are a mixture of Sri Lankans, Indians, Indonesians, Malayans, Arabs, Africans and Europeans. Originally Buddhist, we were converted to Islam in the 12th century. Language, Dhivehi, contains a great many Arabic words.

The population of Maldives has increased rapidly during the last few decades. However with a population of nearly 270,000 the country still remains one of the smallest independent
nations in Asia. Maldivians are a reticent, polite, attractive race whose self-contained manner should not be mistaken for unfriendliness. Women have always had an important role in the family and community. In the early history of Maldives, it was not uncommon to have a woman as a Sultana or ruler and it has been suggested that the society was once a matriarchy.

Bodu Beru is the most popular form of music and dance in the country, enjoyed by the young and the old, men and women. There is a Bodu Beru troupe in almost every inhabited island and is regularly played at special functions and festivals.

Dhivehi is the language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken by
Maldivians and visitors can easily make themselves understood getting around the capital island. In the resorts, a variety of languages are spoken by the staff including English, German, French, Italian and Japanese.

In a nation with less than one percent land and over 99 percent sea, the weather obviously plays a significant role in day-to-day life. The Maldives has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year round and a great deal of sunshine. The warm tropical climate results in relatively minor variations in daily temperature throughout the year. The hottest month on average is April and the coolest, December. The weather is determined largely by the monsoons.

Up-to-date technology and international satellite links allow Maldives to have a sophisticated communications system. IDD facilities are available on all resorts and card phones are available on all inhabited islands. Dhiraagu, the Maldives Telecommunications Company also provides mobile telephones for daily rental. It is also the Internet service provider.

Dress is generally casual. T-shirts and cotton clothing are most suitable. In Male’, the capital island and other inhabited islands it is recommended that women wear modest clothing without baring too much.

White sandy beaches sparkling in the sun alongside crystal clear lagoons would be an idyllic place to spend a perfect holiday. While this is true in most aspects, the degree of fragility of our environment is gaining much attention within national and international levels.