Almost 800 years ago, the Buddhist kings of the Maldives, under the influence of Arab merchants, adopted Islam, which remains the main religion to this day.
Transport in Maldives
Any Maldivian island can be crossed in 1.5 – 2 hours. In the Maldives, water modes of transport predominate: the local taxi is a wooden dhoni boat with a flat roof.
Bicycles and motorcycles are the most popular modes of land transport. Taxis are available to get around Male. You can rent a car in Male and other major islands. Many of the world’s car rental systems are represented.
Plant and Animal World in Maldives
Thin, often saline soils are widespread. Forests cover no more than 3% of the area of the islands. Coconut palms grow on many islands, which do not suffer from soil salinization, banana groves and a dense shrub cover, mangroves in some places, and banyan, pandanus and various thorny plants are found in the depths of the islands. Coastal waters abound with fish. There are sea turtles.
Banks in Maldives
In Male, banks and exchange offices are concentrated on Marine Drive. They are open from 8.00 to 13.30, from Sunday to Thursday (as in many other Muslim countries, Friday and Saturday are days off in the Maldives). Upon departure, the remaining rupees are allowed to be exchanged back into dollars. Currency exchange can be carried out not only in a bank, but also in a number of large stores, where a special sign hangs next to the signs of international tourist cards.
Money in Maldives
The local currency is the rufiyaa, equal to 100 lari. The circulation has banknotes in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 rufiyaas, as well as coins in 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 lari. US dollars and major credit cards (American Express, Visa, Master card, diners club, JCB and Euro Card) are accepted throughout, so you don’t have to exchange dollars for local currency upon arrival.
Rate: 100 Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) = 5.87 USD
Political State in Maldives
The Republic of Maldives is a country in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. According to politicsezine, the Republic of Maldives is part of the Commonwealth, led by the UK.
The country has a constitution of 1968 with changes adopted in 1972 and 1997. The head of state and executive power is the president, who governs the country with the help of the cabinet of ministers appointed and headed by him. The President is elected by the people for a term of five years. The general term of performance of presidential duties is not limited. All citizens of the country who have reached the age of 21 have the right to vote.
Population in Maldives
The population (according to 1995 estimates) was 248,000 people, with an average population density of about 832 people per sq. km. Average life expectancy for men is 61 years, for women – 64 years. The main part of the population is made up of Maldivians (Sinhalese, Indians) – 90%, Arabs – 9%. Several dozen Europeans live on the islands. The most populous atolls are Male, Suvadiva and Siladumati.
Language:
The state language is Divehi, it belongs to the Indo-Iranian group. English is widely spoken in the capital Male and in the resorts.
Cuisine in Maldives
The menu of most resorts in the Maldives includes both local, Asian and European cuisine. The most popular local snacks are fihunu mas – fish baked with chili paste, keemia – fried fish rolls, kulhi borkihaa – the most delicate fish pie. If you want to taste local sweets, try bondi – white coconut sticks.
The local cuisine usually includes rice, fish curry cooked with coconut milk, spiced with lime, chili and small onions. Very popular is roshi, a local bread usually eaten with mas huni, a fish cocktail flavored with coconut, onion, chili and lime.
